Lost and Found
by Appleye2
Summary: How did a simple scouting mission go so wrong? When their leader and second-in-command never return from an overnight trip, the gang have no choice except to head home…and tell their Chief his son is missing. Hiccstrid. Set between RTTE3 and HTTYD2
1. Chapter 1

**New story! This was originally up for adoption but I got cold feet and decided to hold on for a bit longer. This is an epic adventure so it may take a while. Hopefully you will think it's worth the wait...**

 **Takes place between RTTE3 and HTTYD2. Hiccstrid and dragons galore!**

* * *

"We'll be back tomorrow," should have gone down as the most ominous words spoken in Viking history. And they were spoken by none other than Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, unspoken leader of the small outpost on Dragon's Edge and chief-in-training for the island of Berk.

Said chief, was currently adjusting the straps for the saddle on his night fury dragon, Toothless. His second-in-command, the blue eyed blonde bombshell usually known as Astrid…and Hiccup's unofficial girlfriend….was patiently waiting astride her own beast, a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly. She glared at the other teens standing beside them. "And don't blow anything up while we're away," she glared at them fiercely. "Or you'll have me to reckon with when we get back," she threatened.

The twins practically ignored her as they played with a small dragon, one of the flock of Night Terrors that had 'adopted' the six teenagers when they had first arrived on the island about a year or more ago. "Yea…no destruction and carnage. We got it," answered Tuff dismissively.

His sister rolled her eyes beside him. "How borrrrrring," she complained. "Can't we just do a little explosion? Down on the beach where no one goes?" she pleaded, dropping her lip in a petulant pout. Unfortunately for Astrid…it was all for show. Unfortunately for Ruffnut, Astrid knew all about it.

Her axe came flying through the air, landing at the feet of Ruffnut, who didn't bother to move. "Does that answer your question?" she asked, glaring at the female twin.

Ruff sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, "Yeah…whatever. You two get to go off on some lame scouting trip looking for nesting sites, while I'm stuck here with these three," she complained, as she indicated to her brother Tuffnut, Snotlout and Fishlegs around her.

Hiccup walked over and plucked Astrid's axe out of the splintered timber with ease, smiling kindly at the frustrated girl. "We'll only be gone for two days, Ruff. And if any of the dragon hunters happen to visit while we're gone, _then_ you can go crazy with explosions….but only if there are _actually_ dragon hunters," he warned.

Ruffnut perked up. "Let's hope some dragon hunters come to visit then," she replied cheerfully as her brother nodded enthusiastically behind her, the small dragon forgotten for a moment.

Astrid rolled her eyes, as Hiccup returned her axe, and she swung it behind her back into its holder. "If they do, I want to see evidence that there were real dragon hunters, and not just your overactive imaginations," she demanded, still not willing to relent.

Snotlout spoke up from where he was leaning up against his dragon Hookfang, his arms crossed over his chest. "Like a helmet? Cool! We can so totally do that!"

Tuffnut replied airily, "Oh! I was going for a toe…maybe even an ear…totally got that one wrong."

Hiccup sighed, as he mounted his dragon. "Please… no body parts…just something simple and non-dangerous to collect will be fine." He put his mask on, keeping it flipped up for the moment.

Snotlout muttered as he tilted his horned helmet over his eyes, "Spoilsport."

Hiccup tugged on the handle bar of Toothless saddle, "Time to go bud," he spoke gently to the black dragon, who obligingly turned around, ready for take-off and neatly smacking Snotlout in the head with his tail as he went.

"Hey!" Snotlout complained, as he stood back up and straightened his helmet.

Toothless sniggered, as Hiccup shook his head. "Just try not to destroy anything while we're gone…please? Can you at least do that?" he asked the four remaining occupants of the outpost.

"We'll be fine," reassured Fishlegs, as he waved at his friend. "Everything will still be in one piece when you get back."

Hiccup frowned, not sure he believed that as Astrid and Stormfly hunkered down, ready to launch. But he didn't have time to say anything more as Toothless followed Stormfly and shot up into the air. "Fishlegs! You're in charge!" he yelled as the two dragons and their riders swiftly rose up into the air.

Snotlout immediately perked up, placing a hand behind his ear as if to hear better, "What's that? Snotlout's in charge! I'm all over it, Hiccup. Don't come back soon!" He gave a thumbs up to the disappearing spots in the blue sky.

Fishlegs scowled at his friend. "I believe he meant me."

Snotlout proudly indicated to himself, his chest puffed out. "Well I say I'm in charge. And I say, it's time to party!" The twins cheered at this news, and Tuffnut threw a stick for the little dragon to fetch in celebration.

"That's great…we can invite the Night Terrors and teach them some really cool stuff, like counting to two," he offered.

"Nah!" said Snotlout without any interest. "Too much work. How about I lie in my favourite chair and you three bring me food and drinks!"

"Ooo…we can pretend to be servants…your wish is our command," piped up Ruffnut, her excitement obvious.

Fishlegs merely twisted his lips in annoyance and shook his head. "I'm going to take first watch. You three knock yourselves out." He walked over to his dragon, Meatlug, and hopped on.

Tuff stuck his finger in the air, "Good idea Fishlegs. Will you oblige me dear sister?" he asked, turning to his twin.

She turned towards him with an obnoxious snigger. "Always, my dear brother. You only have to ask." And she promptly lowered her head, ready to rush headlong into her brother's skull with an almighty clang, as Meatlug and Fishlegs slowly flew away to take his turn at the watchtower.

The husky lad patted the top of his affectionate dragon's bumpy head, "We only have to last two days, girl. Then Hiccup and Astrid will be back," he reassured the grinning dragon, who gave him a huge loving tongue lick.

"Thanks girl," Fishlegs grinned, before heading to his final destination.

-oOo-

Several hours later, Hiccup was frowning again, but for a very different reason. They were still on dragon back, and had another few hours of travel left to go. But there was a large storm ahead of them…right in the path of where they needed to be.

"We'll have to go around it, Hiccup," Astrid called from beside him. Light rain had already started to fall.

He shook his head. "We can't. It will take us too long…plus there's nowhere to land if we divert. There's a small island up ahead. If we can make it there, we'll be able to take shelter from the rest of the storm," he called back, double checking with his map held tightly in front of him.

She seemed to sigh as she thought about his words. "Okay…the dragons are getting tired, anyway. Just…don't get zapped, alright?" she told him, her voice heavy with worry. Storms usually meant lightning. And lightning was a dangerous problem for Hiccup and Toothless, who both sported more than their fair share of lightning attractive metal.

Toothless warbled his concern too. Hiccup placed a hand on the dragon's head. "Yeah, I know bud. I'm not too keen either," he told him quietly. "But we don't really have a choice. I promise, we'll be careful." Toothless snorted. "I'm going to ignore that," Hiccup said indignantly. Toothless flipped his ear nub, catching the teen across his cheek. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Come on bud, we need to get the girls down safely."

Hiccup flipped his helmet down. Tucking the map away in his vest, he leaned forward to tighten their aerodynamics and took a firmer grip on the handle. Toothless folded in his wings and rolled in a tight corkscrew to drop lower to the ocean. Astrid rolled her eyes at the dramatics of the two self-confessed show offs, and patted Stormfly's neck. "Come on, girl. We can't let them out of our sight. Who knows what trouble they'll get themselves into without us." Stormfly squawked in agreement, and dived in a much more straight forward fashion, tucking her wings in to reduce her resistance to the wind.

Toothless snapped out his wings to slow down their rapid descent once they reached their desired altitude, Astrid and Stormfly not too far behind. The two girls caught up with the sleek, black dragon and his rider as they glided easily at the lower level.

Hiccup flipped up his visor. "We should be okay at this height," he sung out loudly over the rushing breeze. "If we keep heading in this direction, we'll see that island soon enough."

Astrid pulled her fur lined hood over her head as the rain started in earnest. "Good," she yelled back. "The sooner the better."

They two continued on in silence, hunched over their dragons to keep the stinging rain from their faces. They weren't strangers to flying in this kind of weather, but that didn't make it any more pleasant. Both were grateful for the limited protection they did have, but everything else was packed in their saddlebags. They had a small oilskin they were intending to use as a shelter overnight for their scouting trip, but that was tucked in Astrid's bag along with some food. Hiccup had packed a spare tailfin for Toothless and a spare prosthetic for himself, along with some basic tools and more food. These items were always packed and ready. There had simply been too many times when the need for one or the other had arisen. He chuckled to himself when he recollected the time he had managed to break _all_ his spare metal legs, and had to resort to the plain wooden one that he hated so much.

This trip was an important one. He and Fishlegs had discovered that not all the dragons went to the same island the Berkians were familiar with, where they went every Snoggletog to lay their eggs and hatch the new babies. A new island had come to their notice and Hiccup had wanted to find out more about it, so the dragon riders could keep it safe from the Dragon Hunters. The last thing Hiccup and the gang wanted, was for Vigo and Ryker to discover such a precious spot. It made Hiccup's skin crawl to imagine that ruthless man stripping it bare of the next generation of dragons. He frowned in determination. Vigo must NEVER find out about it.

But first, they themselves had to find it…to confirm if this was indeed the correct place. Winter would be here in about three months' time, and he needed to find it before then. Hiccup figured he would find evidence of last year's nesting, with fragments of exploded dragon egg shells lying around, to help him confirm his suspicions.

Fishlegs and Hiccup had estimated it was about a day's flight away. So it meant they could reach the isolated island, camp the night and have enough time the next morning to scout around, before heading back to the Edge. And hopefully well before the madcap twins had a chance to blow anything up. Well…at least anything important.

Normally, he would take Fishlegs with him. But Meatlug would struggle to make this kind of journey with the time constraints they had. And he shuddered at the idea of taking the twins or Snotlout instead. So, it had fallen to the blonde shield maiden to accompany him. Not that either of them would be complaining about spending a whole two days by themselves, with no prying eyes or suggestive remarks to annoy them. Even if they were going to be spending most of that time flying. He was sure the inane comments would fly thick and fast when they returned anyway.

Hiccup glanced over at Astrid, her shoulders hunched over as she kept her body as low to the Deadly Nadder as she could comfortably get. The two had been 'just friends' for so long now, but everyone knew their relationship was much more than that. Astrid the tough warrior, was an expert with an axe and never afraid to use it. She could disarm six huge Vikings and have them on their backsides before she even broke a sweat. She was fierce, loyal and dependable. She had no problems with telling others exactly where they had gone wrong.

But this same woman was also happy to share her soft and feminine side with Hiccup, listening carefully to his concerns and telling him her own. It was silently expected that the two would eventually marry, but for now they were happy just to be very close friends. Apart from the private hugs and chaste kisses, they hadn't extended their relationship much beyond that. Still, a blind man would be able to recognize their true feelings in the familiar way they acted towards each other. Sitting close together at the table, subtle touches to shoulders or hands, the way they searched each other out, the glances and the small reassuring smiles... all the little signs that show a young couple comfortable in each other's presence. And very much in love.

Hiccup's attention was brought back to their current circumstances, with the loud rumble of thunder.

"Great," he muttered sarcastically. "Just what we need…." Toothless huffed. "Yeah, I know bud. Let's try to keep away from it, shall we?"

The words had barely escaped from his mouth, before a crack of lightning shot through the sky, way too close for their liking. Hiccup immediately turned Toothless further left, hoping to remove them all from the danger. Astrid saw and changed direction to follow. Her heavy frown let Hiccup know she wasn't happy about the situation they were placing themselves in. Hiccup chose to keep focused on finding the island instead.

The wind and rain strengthened, and the fatigued dragons were having to put in extra effort to keep them on the correct path. Hiccup had hoped another hours flying would have them reaching their goal, but the storm had prevented that. Now they were flying to an island that would take them a further two hours to the west, well away from their destination. And they weren't even going to be able to take advantage of the high altitude slipstream. Which meant the dragons would be forced to work even harder.

Hiccup was beginning to feel worried, as he felt the storm pushing them even further away from their route. Leaning forward, he spoke into the dragon's ear, "Do your thing, please bud. See if we can find that island before it slips away from us in the rain."

Toothless gave a short nod, before opening his mouth and sending out his echolocation signal, searching for the unseen land mass. But there was no return signal. Toothless gave a quick shake of his head, and Hiccup's heart sank. "Nothing, huh? You sure you didn't miss anything?" The dragon's eyes narrowed into slits and he gave an indignant snort.

His rider put an apologetic hand on the dragon's head. "Sorry bud, didn't mean to question you. I'm worried we may have drifted too far west. I don't know if there's another island out here. And you and Stormfly are tired. We all need to rest and get out of this storm," he told his dragon friend in a very worried voice.

Toothless rumbled deep in his chest and Hiccup gave a pat of gratitude to the scaly neck. "I know bud. You'll do all you can. But even the mighty offspring of lightning and death itself needs a break." Toothless sighed tiredly, as if to agree. But the leathery wings continued to beat strongly, as the four friends battled the angry winds and the driving rain.

-oOo-

Fishlegs stood at the edge of the walkway that was wrapped around the clubhouse. He was staring out at the beautiful sunset scene over the waves of the sea, no clouds to disturb the darkening evening sky. Snotlout walked up beside him, noisily munching on a yak steak. "What'cha looking at, Fishy?" he asked, bits of food flying out of his mouth along with the spit.

Fishlegs gave him a disgusted look before taking a step sideways. He resumed his vigil over the sea. "Do you think they made it yet?" he asked, his brows pulled together in concern.

Snotlout waved his food around and Fishlegs took a further inconspicuous step away. "Yeah…they're probably already cozy around a fire, guessing how many explosions the twins did today….And if they ask, it was only three." He smiled smugly to himself, "I did the other two. It was awesome Fishlips! You should have been there." Snotlout sighed happily, his food still waving dangerously close to his big friend's sour face.

"How could you be exploding things if you were supposed to be on watchtower duty?" Fishlegs asked with narrowed eyes. Snotlout paused for a moment, looking guilty. "You did take your turn, right?" Fishlegs asked, his tone raising in concern.

Snotlout said nothing, but his shifty eyes spoke volumes even as he munched on his food to cover up his lack of answer.

"You didn't go, did you," Fishlegs practically shrieked. He started to pace, anxiously wringing his hands together. "What's Hiccup going to say when he finds out? The dragon hunters could be closing in, even as we speak! Oh, why did both of them have to go?" he worriedly rattled off.

Snotlout merely casually waved his food around again, "Calm down...nothing bad is going to happen. We haven't seen the dragon hunters in months. Plus the night terrors have it covered."

The big man pointed over his companions shoulder, "Do you mean _those_ night terrors?" Snotlout turned to see him pointing down at the twins in the training ring playing with a flock of the small dragons. "Er...yeah. See? Nothing to worry about," Snotlout shrugged. "They've got it covered." He paused to fling the gnawed bone high into the surrounding bushes. Fishlegs opened and closed his mouth soundlessly as his face turned red, and his arms flapped while he struggled to _not_ strangle the self-absorbed man in front of him. How Hiccup hadn't thrown him over a cliff yet, was totally beyond Fishlegs. "It. Is. Your. Turn," he told the black haired man through gritted teeth.

Snotlout raised a lazy eyebrow, then rolled his eyes at the _way_ too tense man standing beside him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go," he said, whistling to Hookfang. The Monstrous Nightmare lifted his head and searched around, checking out what had been happening during his snooze.

Fishlegs exhaled heavily as finally, Snotlout was going to start taking things seriously. He hopped onto Meatlug, his own dragon and flew back to his hut where he intended to spend the evening adding more of his notes to The Book of Dragons. He was already out of sight by the time Snotlout mounted his dragon ready for watchtower duty...right after he finished playing with the twins and the night terrors.

-oOo-

It was all Astrid could do to hold on tight, as the Deadly Nadder was thrown in all directions by the fierce winds. Glancing over, she could see Hiccup wasn't doing much better. She noticed Hiccup turn to look behind him. Following his gaze she gasped. Toothless tail fin was beginning to fold under the pressure of the high winds. Hiccup turned towards her, but she was unable to discern what he was thinking, due to the mask covering his face. She knew hers showed utter terror, knowing full well what the only outcome of this disaster was going to be.

And then it happened. The rod connecting the harness to the tail fin snapped and popped out. Toothless roared and opened his eyes wide in despair, as he flapped even harder to keep the two of them aloft. But the wind showed no mercy, pushing them relentlessly. The two began to spin out of control. Astrid's eyes opened wide when she realised she was in danger too….as the black dragon and his rider came barreling towards them, crashing straight into the Nadder's side. Astrid shrieked, pain surging down her arm where the heavy beast had impacted, barely hanging onto Stormfly as she too, lost control. The two dragons and their riders rolled over each other in the air, both doing everything in their power to separate and descend carefully…for a heavy crash landing was the only surety right now.

Briefly, Hiccup and Toothless were able to push away from Astrid and Stormfly before all four splashed directly into the white capped waves of the heaving ocean. Hiccup was the first to resurface, bursting forth out of the seawater. He gasped heavily, sucking in fresh air and ripping the mask off his face. Flicking the wet hair out of his eyes, he searched desperately around him. Toothless popped up close beside him, looking wet and forlorn while he paddled anxiously towards his rider. He moaned when Hiccup yelled, " _Toothless_! Are you okay, bud?" The two were quickly reunited, and Hiccup wrapped his arms around the Night Fury's thick neck. He knew they would be okay for now, but the high waves were preventing him from locating the two girls.

"ASTRID!" he yelled urgently. " _ASTRID_!"

His heart was in his mouth, and he swiveled his head in all directions, frantically trying to find the blonde girl and her dragon amongst the agitated water.

"Toothless...where are they?" Hiccup shouted, his eyes opened wide in fear. The dragon opened his mouth to send out his echolocation signal.

Nothing.

Turning slightly, he tried again.

Still nothing.

The third time he moved and sent out a signal….he found them.

Toothless excitedly gave a quick bark and Hiccup's neck snapped to the same direction. He still couldn't see them hidden in the darkened water but if Toothless said they were there…that's where he was going. Hiccup held on tight as the two paddled in the same direction where Toothless had received a positive result. The wind and the waves kept pushing them back, and Hiccup was beginning to feel he was never going to see Astrid again when, for a brief moment, he crested the top of a wave and saw them. But it didn't look good.

The night fury slid back to the bottom of the wave, and Hiccup's heart sank with them. Astrid had been lying half draped over the Deadly Nadder, her head resting on the saddle. Even though he knew Stormfly would keep them both afloat for as long as she could, it had been plain to see the awkward angle that the female dragon was holding her wing at. They were both injured, and Hiccup was unable to do anything about it.

The two boys crested another wave, and Hiccup frantically searched for the Nadder and her rider, hoping to find them. He did…but they were being swept further away in the turbulent seas.

"Toothless, we gotta help them," he cried. But he didn't know how. Without a functioning tail fin, they were at the mercy of the angry sea as much as the two girls. He didn't know where they were, or even if there was an island nearby or not. There was no known place for any of them to seek refuge.

Toothless chased after Astrid and Stormfly in dogged determination. If his harness had been in working order, they would have been able to rescue the girls.

"Of course!" Hiccup smacked his forehead for his forgetfulness. "I'll get the spare rod out." Making sure to hold on carefully, he edged around the front of the paddling Night Fury to get to the saddlebag on the other side...only to find it was missing. The broken strap told the story. "Noooo..." he yelled in despair, slapping the water in frustration. His wet and pale face stared at his concerned dragon, eyes open wide in fear. "Bud, what are we going to do?" Hiccup choked out.

Toothless frowned in a determined manner. Lifting his head up, he roared and roared again. Hiccup hung limply to his best friend, thinking the dragon was calling to Stormfly. But there was no draconic answer. Toothless paused and listened. He must have heard something that satisfied him, judging by his pleased expression. Then he roared again. Hiccup watched thoughtfully.

"Toothless, what are you up to?"

The Night Fury turned his head and crooned in reassurance.

"Who did you call?" Hiccup wondered, for it was obviously not Stormfly.

He waited anxiously as the two friends crested another tall wave, desperate to catch another glimpse of the girls. When they reached the top he only had a few moments to spot them. His heart sank deeper than the ocean floor when neither of them were visible anymore. They had been swept too far away.

"NOOOOOO," Hiccup yelled, tears washing down his cheeks as he faced the terrifying shock of their loss. Astrid was a fighter but both had been injured. It would only be a matter of time before the girl and her dragon were swallowed by the waves. Hiccup laid his head on the saddle and sobbed, even as Toothless continued to paddle in the direction they had last seen them. Astrid was gone, the love of his life was no more. And he hadn't even told her what she meant to him. Hiccup didn't know how he was supposed to go on. Life without her would forever be meaningless. He didn't even want to think about telling her family...provided he and Toothless even made it out of here.

Toothless gave a sharp warning bark, but Hiccup ignored it. If there was any danger out there, he didn't think he would be able to fight it off right now. Even though he knew Astrid would want him to keep fighting, he couldn't find the energy to do anything about it. Toothless barked again, nudging him with his wing to gain his attention. Hiccup blearily lifted his head. "What is it?" he asked flatly. The answer came in the shape of a large green head surfacing beside him, creating a huge bow wave that had Hiccup holding on tightly to avoid being shaken off.

"Scauldron!" Hiccup yelled, expecting to be boiled alive at any moment with a burst of super-heated water. "Toothless, plasma blast!" he demanded. But to his surprise, Toothless didn't blast the larger dragon. In fact he warbled a welcome to it.

"What the...?"

Hiccup was confused, his brows drawing together as he studied the Scauldron looming over them. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide in understanding.

"Scaldy? Is that you?" he asked, with rising hope. The large green head came down to reach his outstretched hand. "I know Ruff's not here, but do you think you could help us out?" he pleaded with the newcomer. Scaldy blew a gentle mist over Hiccup's hand and the teen sighed in relief.

"Great….do you think you could find Astrid and Stormfly, please? They're injured and they need to find somewhere safe," he told the dragon urgently. Scaldy nodded slightly then dived under the water, causing Hiccup to hold on tight again as the action created a bigger swell.

"Phew…I hope he finds them, bud," he murmured, hanging on tightly to the Night Fury's neck. Toothless warbled in response, and kept paddling.

-oOo-

It was some time later and Toothless was still paddling, but at a much slower pace. They hadn't heard anything further from Scaldy and Hiccup was anxious to know if the friendly dragon had managed to find the girls and take them to safety. The storm was still raging, and they were hopelessly lost in the middle of the ocean with nothing but waves and the grey sky to keep them company. Hiccup had tried to use his maps to guess where they were, but the wet paper had been completely destroyed. Toothless was getting tired, his green eyes were starting to droop. Hiccup was worried. And cold. And very wet.

Sighing, Hiccup laid his head down on the saddle. He only wanted to know if Astrid was okay. The whole time they'd been floating in the stormy seas, he'd thought mostly of her. Ever since they were kids, he'd had a crush on her but never dared to think she would even look at him. Enter one Night Fury, and minus one leg after the Viking versus Red Death saga, and his whole world had done a complete three-sixty. Now she was his closest friend and confidant, the one he gravitated towards whenever he needed counsel or support. And he was hers. She allowed him to see the insecure and softer side of her that nobody else ever got to see. The privilege of which was not lost on him.

Hiccup rocked in the motion of the waves, and didn't notice a particularly larger swell until he almost rolled right off the saddle. Toothless gave a sharp bark to gain his attention and he looked up quickly to see a large green head pushing out of the waves beside him.

"Scaldy!" he yelled. "You're back! Did you find them? Are they okay?" he asked quickly, before remembering he was talking to a dragon. He took a deep breath before starting again. "Did you find them?" he asked anxiously.

The long necked dragon gracefully arched his head down towards Hiccup and blew gently on his hair. He seemed to be happy, so Hiccup took that to mean the Scauldron had been successful.

"Where are they?" he asked next. In answer, the green dragon sank beneath the waves. "Scaldy? Where'd you go?" Hiccup asked, glancing all around him. "Bud, where did he go?" he asked anxiously. Toothless crooned at him.

Hiccup felt something brush against his legs under the water, and he automatically drew them up closer to his body. "Great, we're going to be fish food," said Hiccup frantically as he tried to see what was under the water and possibly about to eat him.

A large body came in contact underneath him and Toothless, and Hiccup barely had time to yell before they were being lifted out of the water on the Scauldron's back, his large head breaking the surface at the same time.

"Scaldy? Are you rescuing us?" Hiccup yelled at the head that was so far away. Scaldy merely glanced back and blinked at him, before slowly rising out of the water and flying towards whatever destination only he knew about. Toothless and Hiccup had to hold on tight, but it wasn't long before an island appeared before them. And there on the beach, was...

"Astrid!" Hiccup yelled. The blonde shield maiden looked up from beside her dragon and waved furiously in response, the biggest grin visible across her face. Scaldy settled down on the sand beside her, allowing the Night Fury and his rider to clamber off. Hiccup remembered to pause long enough to thank the Scauldron, then rushed over to Astrid. He gathered her in his arms, holding her close. "Thank goodness you're okay. I thought for sure I had last you," he told her, his voice cracking with emotion.

Astrid held one arm against her chest but used the other to return the hug as best she could.

"We're okay... thanks to Scaldy," she told him softly. "How did you find him?" she asked.

"I didn't...Toothless called him," Hiccup told her, reluctantly letting her go.

Astrid walked over and gave Toothless a loving scratch. "Thanks Toothless," she told him with quiet gratitude. She looked up at the green dragon sliding back into the water. "Thanks Scaldy."

Hiccup walked back into the water, his palm outstretched. Scaldy pressed his nose briefly to Hiccup's hand. "Thank you," Hiccup murmured. The dragon blinked at him, then dived back into the ocean.

Hiccup noticed Astrid favoring her arm. "You're hurt."

"It's just a sprain," she told him.

"Astrid...I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," he began. He had been so desperately worried about them and the injuries he had caused.

She stuck her finger up. "Shhh..." she interrupted. "It was an accident. You couldn't prevent any of it," she told him firmly. "Right now, I'm more worried about Stormfly. Her wing is injured."

Hiccup turned his attention to the sad looking Deadly Nadder, her bent wing immediately obvious. He went to check it, carefully feeling along the edge of it. "I'm afraid it's broken," he told Astrid sadly.

"Oh no. Poor Stormfly. I'm sorry girl," she tried to comfort the Nadder. "Hiccup...how are we going to get home?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know yet. The saddlebag with all my spare parts is out in the ocean somewhere. The only thing I have left is Inferno. I'd ask Scaldy for a lift, but he can't fly us all the way back. He needs to be underwater. And with Stormfly's busted wing and your sprained arm...we're in a tight spot," Hiccup had to admit. "Hopefully, the guys will come looking for us when we don't come back tomorrow. We'll just have to sit tight until they find us."

Astrid said nothing, but the look of dubiousness on her face gave her thoughts on the matter as she stroked her injured dragon.

Hiccup chose to ignore it. "Come on, let's find a dry spot out of this rain. We'll splint Stormfly's wing and fashion a sling for you at the same time."

It didn't take them long to find a small but dry cave not too far from the beach. Hiccup managed to get a warm fire going with his dragon's help. Astrid used a bandage from Stormfly's saddle bag as a sling for her own arm, before pulling out a rope. With a large sturdy branch she had found, she then helped Hiccup to secure the broken section of her dragon's wing, tucking it in tight with the rope to prevent her accidentally moving it.

Later, Astrid sat against Toothless flank with Stormfly huddled beside them. Hiccup had managed to salvage a little of the food they had. He sat beside her while they ate.

"We'll have to search for more food and water tomorrow. I don't know how long we will be here for," he told her carefully. She nodded, then rested her head against his shoulder. He moved to wrap one arm around her. "Do you know where we are at least?" she asked.

He hesitated. "No...I don't," he had to admit. "My maps got destroyed... But I do know we are on solid ground, with our dragons. That's a start, right?"

She chuckled, "Trust you to say something like that...So we're lost."

He gave her a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure they'll find us soon."

"Hmmmmm," was her response.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning found Hiccup and Astrid a little stiff and sore from sitting up against Toothless all night. Not to mention the hours spent in the water before that. The two ate a small breakfast before heading out to survey their surroundings. Fortunately the storm had finally left them, so the sky was clear and blue. Astrid looked up. "Great day for flying," she said automatically, before remembering their predicament.

Hiccup got up, stretched out the kinks in his back, then offered a hand to Astrid.

"I know. Come on...let's keep ourselves busy. Nobody is going to miss us until at least tonight. Then it will probably be another day or two before they find us. Longer, if they get dad first. We need to check out this island and see what's here," he said as he helped her up.

"You don't have to be so cheerful about it," she grumbled, heading over to check on her injured Nadder.

He walked over to her, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. "Hey, at least it's not the twins you're stuck here with!"

She shuddered, "Urgh...don't...you'll give me nightmares."

He laughed. Moving over, he carefully tugged on Stormfly's ropes to make sure all was well. Astrid stood absently stroking the Nadder's chin. She was staring at Hiccup as he worked, noting the tender way he touched the dragon, his concern obvious. She supposed she should be upset they were stranded a long way from home, but truthfully she didn't mind having him all to herself for a few days. They were always so busy on the Edge, and the other riders were never far away. It was hard to find time to relax with just the two of them where Hiccup wasn't worried about one thing or another. Or spending time inventing things in the forge. She knew they would be found soon, but that wasn't going to stop her making the most of their unexpected time together.

"Astrid? You okay?" Hiccup asked, with a quizzical frown.

She shook herself. "Huh?"

He stood in front of her, his hand resting on her upper arm. "You okay? You looked like you were miles away," he asked again.

She smiled. "Yeah. Just glad it was you I got stranded with."

He smiled knowingly. "Oh, I don't know...the twins are pretty useful at making fires...Fishlegs would have missed the storm altogether, and Snotlout..."

"Don't. Even. Go. There," she warned as he laughed joyfully.

"Come on...let's go exploring," he told her with a warm smile, giving her a brief squeeze of the shoulders.

She reached up and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked with a grin.

She smiled shyly. "For being you."

He chuckled. They headed out of the cave with their dragons, ready to see what this island held for them.

Firstly, they found some long grass and Hiccup used Inferno, his Nightmare gel powered retractable fire sword, to slash it down. They carted it back to the cave to dump it into a thick pile, before laying the oilskin from Stormfly's saddle bag over the top to create a comfy bed.

Next, they went to collect fire wood. Using Astrid's axe, Hiccup chopped down two tall and skinny trees, then lashed a few shorter ones crosswise to make a temporary trailer to drag behind Toothless. With this, they were able to load up quite a lot of the fallen branches they found scattered across the ground following yesterday's storm. Bringing it back into the cave, they both worked to stack it in the corner to dry out. Astrid still had one arm in a sling, but that didn't stop her from working with her one good hand. Stormfly wasn't really able to help, but she followed Astrid closely as she moved around.

By lunchtime, they were getting hungry. They wanted to eke out the small amount of food they had with them, which meant they had to find more elsewhere. Which meant fishing. They did manage to find some recognizable berries along the way, which they enthusiastically chomped into, sharing them with their dragons. Heading back out to the beach, Hiccup picked up a long thin pole and sharpened the end, ready to use it as a spear. Toothless and Stormfly went up one end, whilst Hiccup and Astrid went up the other end to fish. About an hour later, the two riders had a collection of two fish whilst the dragons had managed about twenty between them. Toothless gave a definite laughing sound. '

"No one likes a show off," Hiccup grumbled, as they walked over.

The dragons were quite happy to eat their selection where they were standing, but Astrid had found enough sticks for a small fire to roast their fish on. Before long, the two were sitting on the beach beside their dragons, picking at the cooked white flesh. Once they had all filled their stomachs, Astrid turned to Hiccup. "What are we going to do now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Make sure we have enough food and water for now. We can only hope Fishlegs and the gang will remember their training and find us soon."

She snorted. "Are you seriously trying to tell me our fate depends on those mutton heads? We'll never leave here."

"Hey...I trust Fishlegs to figure it out," protested Hiccup lightly.

She gave him a pointed look. "Do you trust Fishlegs to lead Snotlout and the twins on a search and rescue mission, a whole days flight away from the Edge?"

Hiccup hesitated. Despite the years they had trained and worked together, Snotlout and the twins were still inclined to drift towards their own destructive pursuits rather than think of what would be best for the whole team. And Fishlegs still hadn't developed the confidence to show leadership qualities. Although he certainly displayed flashes of courage and determination at times. He was more inclined to head off on his own and get lost within some dragon related project. Which of course, was part of the reason why the two got on so well. But he knew Fishlegs would do all he could to find them. How he managed against the strong willed force of the others however, he could not be sure of.

"I thought so," said Astrid grimly, guessing correctly at his lengthy silence.

Hiccup shrugged. "We're okay for now. If they don't find us, we'll figure something out. I noticed plenty of signs that dragons visit here. Maybe we can train one."

She nodded, staring out to sea absently.

He continued, "In the meantime we make sure we have enough food and water and wait it out. I've been caught in these situations before. It can get a little boring...unless you've got Outcasts or dragon hunters chasing you."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Well, let's hope they stay away. Aren't you more worried about what's happening at home?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Why? Do you think the twins might blow something up? Or the hunters attack? Or Snotlout get someone killed? Maybe even the whole base get fired to a crisp, and there'll be nothing left to go home too?"

She smirked at him. "Something like that."

He grinned, although the undercurrent of tension across his brow made her realise he was staying positive for her benefit. "Even if all that did happen, what can I do about it? We will clean up the mess when we get home, like we've done before."

She snorted.

He smiled at her. "For now, let's just focus on staying alive. Anything else, we'll worry about later." He took hold of her hand. "We'll treat it like a holiday, just you and me."

Her smile lit up her face. "Now that's something I can get into," she responded happily.

-oOo-

Fishlegs flew in on Meatlug after his turn at watch duty. He landed outside the Clubhouse. A pot of mutton stew was bubbling over the fire in the middle of the room. Fishlegs searched around for any of the riders, but the place was empty.

"Phew, girl," he said, helping himself to the stew. "Just you and me. Let's eat this and get out of here, before they come back," he told the Gronkle. Meatlug nodded her agreement while Fishlegs enjoyed his food. He cleaned out the bowl, then put it away before heading back to his hut. Fishlegs had a whole afternoon of spoiling Meatlug with a lovely rub down using her favorite oils planned. And after that he intended to spend some time in the caverns with Dathvarg and the albino Night Terror gang. He was thankful Hiccup and Astrid would be back later that day. He was excited to think about what they would find. A whole other nesting site for a lot of possibly different dragons. But right now, he had some pampering to provide.

-oOo-

Hiccup waved Inferno from side to side in a mesmerizing pattern, the three small Scuttleclaws swaying in tune with the fiery sword. The three baby dragons had surprised them while they were searching through the interior of the island. Hiccup had decided to train them with the hope they would be able to fly them back to the Edge and bring back help for their stranded dragons. He had been practicing with Inferno at home, as a quick way to train dragons. Especially skittish or hostile dragons. He'd managed to improve his original design so that it now fit into a splint attached to his leg, meaning it was always with him whenever he needed it. Especially in unexpected situations like they were in now. The retractable part of the sword he had copied from Toothless, allowing him to carry a much shorter weapon. Astrid had been glad about that, as it meant Hiccup was always armed, although he never appeared to be. This, of course, was beneficial when taming wild dragons. Like now. Astrid had already been forced to throw her axe away while Hiccup calmed the babies.

She observed him closely, enjoying seeing him in his element. There was something so compelling, watching him completely at ease with the sometimes unpredictable beasts. Hiccup radiated a sense of power and quiet confidence, which the dragons could sense. He always managed to do what others couldn't. Despite all his instructions to the other riders, nobody else had ever achieved the same results as him. It was a quality that belonged purely to him. Something she was secretly glad about.

Right now, he had calmed the babies enough that he was now stretching out his hand to the boldest one in the middle, turning his face away and waiting expectantly for the connection. Astrid watched with baited breathe as the baby came forward, almost touching the hand in front of its nose.

A sudden massive roar sounded nearby.

The abrupt noise frightened the babies, and they squawked in fear before flying off.

"No, it's okay," Hiccup called out, but they were already gone.

"What was that?" asked Astrid, disappointed their hopes for rescuing themselves had scattered into the winds.

"I'm not sure, but it sounded like it was back at camp," he said, already heading off in that direction.

They arrived soon after, only to be confronted with a highly agitated Monstrous Nightmare. It was snapping at a few terrible terrors that were flapping around his head.

Astrid wasn't even surprised to see Hiccup stride right into the danger zone, Inferno already flaming in his hand. "Hey big guy. What's the matter, huh?" he asked in a soothing voice as he waved the sword in front of the dragon. But the Nightmare had no intentions of calming down. He lunged forward, snapping at Hiccup who deftly danced backwards out of the way.

"Woah! No need for that," said Hiccup, putting out a hand to stop Toothless and Stormfly from attacking. "Leave it bud, he's probably frightened."

The Night Fury and Deadly Nadder circled around, a low growl rumbling low in their chests. Hiccup tried something different, using the Zippleback gas canister he had pulled from his leg splint and popping it into Inferno. He released the gas in a low circle around him, lighting it with a loud BOOM. The Nightmare backed up a bit in surprise, but a moment later he burst forward through the smoke cloud, snapping at Hiccup again. Hiccup yelped and stumbled backwards. Toothless pounced forward, shooting a plasma blast at the dragon. Stormfly followed up with a fiery flame causing the Nightmare to back up completely. But the dragon wasn't ready to give up just yet. He circled around the small group, lighting himself on fire. The two protective dragons circled with him.

Astrid raced in to help Hiccup back to his feet. "Thanks, Astrid. Something's wrong, but I don't know what it is," he told her. He tried to push in for another attempt at calming the Nightmare, but Toothless stopped him and tossed him back.

"Ooof," said Hiccup, landing hard. Astrid rushed over to help him, but he had already regained his footing.

Astrid turned her attention back to the argumentative dragon.

"Look at his eyes, Hiccup."

Hiccup stared. The Nightmare's eyes were narrowed in hostility, but there was a glazed expression all too familiar to the riders.

"He's under mind control," said Hiccup in surprise.

"But from where? Is there a nest nearby?" asked Astrid.

Hiccup shook his head. "I didn't think so. We've never seen anything to indicate it in all the time we've been travelling around the archipelago."

Toothless and Stormfly were still fighting the Nightmare, who was attacking ferociously. He managed a shot at the Night Fury, which clipped the tailfin and set it on fire. Toothless whammed the lit artificial tailfin on the ground, putting the fire out. But the damage was already done. Stormfly blasted the Nightmare full in the chest, causing it to stagger backwards for a moment, before it charged again. Stormfly cried out in pain, as the Nightmare rammed her sideways, hitting her broken wing with his snout.

"Stormfly!" called Astrid, worried about her dragon. She went to run towards her, but Hiccup grabbed her and pulled her back.

"No! Don't! You'll make it worse. Toothless will look after her," he told her, keeping his arms tight around the struggling girl.

Toothless did, roaring at the intruder and firing a blast with deadly aim at the Nightmare. The other dragon stopped and wobbled from the attack. He lowered his head, shaking it the whole time as he slowly backed away from Toothless and Stormfly. Toothless roared again, and the Nightmare seemed to shrink as he bowed in submission before flying away.

"There, see? He's gone," said Hiccup as Astrid raced towards her dragon. Stormfly crooned sadly as Astrid checked for injuries. The rope was still holding fast and everything seemed to be still in place, but Astrid didn't relax, continuing to search for any other damage.

Hiccup approached Toothless, "Thanks bud. Saved us again." He ran his hand over the dragon, heading for the damaged tailfin. He sighed when he got a closer look. "Well, that was our last one, bud. All the spares were in the missing saddlebag," he said in frustration. "We are officially grounded, unless I can make a new one or the gang thinks to bring a spare one with them."

Astrid came over to rest her hand on his shoulder. "If you had been able to tame that Nightmare, he would have been strong enough to carry Toothless home."

He shrugged. "The two of us, yes. But not the dragons. We would need a Typhoomerang or something big like that to carry them home. Or a boat, I guess. We're a long way from the Edge," he reminded her. He took off the remains of the now useless tailfin and saddle.

"Maybe another dragon will come to the island?" said Astrid hopefully. "You'll train the next one for sure."

Hiccup went to replace the empty gel canister in the sword, only to find he had none left. They were all empty.

"That's just great," he complained, snapping them all back into the leg splint anyway. "I'm out of Nightmare gel and Zippleback gas," he told Astrid. "We'll be training the hard way till I can get a refill."

She smirked at him. "Every way is the hard way with you," she laughed.

He grinned at her teasing. "Come on...let's go fishing for dinner...the hard way."

Laughing, the two of them linked arms as they headed towards the beach.

-oOo-

Later that night, the two were sitting beside each other on a rock, watching the flames of the fire leap up into the darkened sky. Hiccup was watching her from the corner of his eye. She was frowning, deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?' he asked gently, causing her to jump.

"Uh...just wondering what the twins are doing," she replied hastily, blushing as she attempted to keep her true thoughts hidden.

"Mmmm." He guessed that wasn't quite true, but as soon as she mentioned the twins his thoughts also turned to the other riders. Despite their circumstances, he had been enjoying time alone with Astrid. He knew the others would find them soon enough...although he hoped the Edge would still be in one piece by the time they returned. He trusted Fishlegs, but the others had already proven on previous occasions they needed a firm hand to keep them out of trouble. Unfortunately, Fishlegs was more inclined to step back rather than step up as soon as any pressure was applied to him. He suspected that it would take a few days for any rescue party to find them here, unless they had the good sense to get help from his father and Skullcrusher. The rumblehorn was a tracker class dragon and Hiccup had every confidence the large dragon under his father's guidance, would have no trouble finding them. Unless they were able to train a visiting dragon to take them back in the meantime.

He shrugged. "I'm sure they won't have enough time to completely destroy the island before we get back."

She gave him a pointed look. "You wanna bet?" she asked flatly.

"Meh," he shrugged. "Not much we can do about it from here, anyway."

She nodded and turned away from him to look over at Stormfly, nestled up against Toothless. "Do you think she'll heal okay," she asked worriedly.

He leaned over to give her a squeeze. "She'll be fine. It was a clean break." His gaze drifted to her blonde braid, which had come loose. Astrid had been unable to do much about it with only one hand.

"Uh...do you want me to rebraid your hair?" he asked tentatively.

She turned wide eyes to him in surprise. "Rebraid my hair?" she asked in astonishment.

"Umm, yeah. You know...while you've only got one hand," he stuttered, cheeks flaming red in embarrassment.

Astrid quickly became a matching pair as her own cheeks turned crimson.

"Er...that would be nice," she told him, averting her eyes from him.

He indicated to a spot in front of him, and she shuffled over to sit lower down, between his legs.

The tension was a little awkward between the two as he gently undid the leather tie, loosening the thick braid with his fingers. Spreading it across her shoulders, he slowly ran his fingers through the blonde tresses, searching for knots and twigs. It shone in the firelight, and he became mesmerized by this unique opportunity. He had always loved her hair, but to actually have his hands running through it was an act of such intimacy that he had never thought it would actually be possible.

Astrid's eyes closed as she sighed quietly. The moment his hand had touched her blonde locks, the shot of pure bliss had cut across her scalp, turning her into a complete puddle of jelly. Now she knew what the dragons felt like when Hiccup found THAT spot under their chin, the one that made them collapse in utter euphoria. She really felt like doing the same. The sensation only intensified the longer he stroked her hair. She hoped he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. It was simply amazing. And something she hoped he would repeat again.

She could feel him separating the hair, ready to braid, and she almost panicked. "Nghh," she murmured, shifting her head to pull the strands out of his hand.

He paused. "What's wrong?" he asked cautiously, thinking he'd done something wrong.

"More," she murmured, indicating to her hair.

"More?" he asked.

She nodded shyly. He grinned, leaning forward as his hands threaded their way through her hair. "Feel good?" he murmured quietly beside her ear. She nodded again, her voice lost as she submitted to the wonderful sensations. By the time she reluctantly allowed him to finish braiding her hair, she felt so relaxed that she had trouble keeping her eyes open.

Hiccup noticed. "Time for bed," he said, giving her a nudge with his knee. He had to help her climb onto the grass bed they had made earlier, after first removing her shoulder armor for her. He then took off his own armor and prosthetic, and lay down beside her. To his surprise, she rolled over and threw an arm across his chest, snuggling against him. He froze, not sure what he should do. But when she didn't move any further, he slowly wrapped his arm around her. She snuggled in tighter.

Hiccup smiled. His upturned lips were still visible when he fell asleep a few moments later.

-oOo-

The morning of the third day shone brightly at the Edge. The twins were snoring in their beds. So was Snotlout. The three had been up late celebrating. Celebrating anything and everything they could think of. While Hiccup and Astrid were away, they wanted to take advantage of every moment they could squeeze out of it. And right now, that involved sleeping in well past breakfast time.

Fishlegs had been up early, but he wasn't in his hut. Or at the Clubhouse. Or even at the stables. In fact, he hadn't even spent the night in his own bed. He was currently deep in the caves with Darthvarg and the albino Night Terrors, spending time with them. The trap door that he had built a few months earlier, had been damaged and Fishlegs needed to repair it. He and Meatlug were kept busy, and because he hadn't been in camp last night, he hadn't realized that Hiccup and Astrid were not yet home.

The twins and Snotlout also failed to notice the duo had failed to return. Simply because they were having too much fun being unrestrained by their absent dynamic leader. So when Fishlegs came back to the Clubhouse at lunchtime, he saw the stables plus the huts of Hiccup and Astrid were all closed. He assumed the two had come back and were sleeping off their long flight with their dragons. So he prepared to set off on his pre-planned trip to nearby Fireworm Island to check out the next batch of Fireworm hatchlings. He wouldn't be back till later that evening.

-oOo-

The third day lost on the island was quickly drawing to a close. They were 'officially' missing for an entire day now. Hiccup and Astrid had to assume the dragon riders were already on their way to find them. So if all things were going as planned, they should have visitors by now. But as the shadows lengthened into night, it was clear there would be no rescuers flying in that day.

Hiccup and Astrid sat side by side against the Night Fury's flank. Astrid was frowning. "Do you think they will get here tomorrow?"

"Maybe. It depends on whether they get my dad first. Then they have to find us. The problem is, I don't even know where we are."

"So you're saying, they might not find us at all?" she said, her voice rising slightly.

Hiccup turned to gaze earnestly into her eyes. "Hey, we'll be okay," he told her softly, lifting her chin with his finger. "I promise you, as long as we're together, we'll find a way back home."

She returned his stare, worry evident in her eyes. It seemed a little hopeless to believe they could leave this island and return home. But the confident expression on Hiccup's face showed that he meant the words he had spoken. And she believed him.

"Okay," she finally spoke. "We'll get home. As long as we're together." She leaned in towards him, and Hiccup placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We'll make it...even if we have to get there ourselves," he murmured into her ear, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her temple.

She turned her face towards him, and noticed how very close together they were. How green his eyes were. How the shadows from the firelight danced across his face, showing the hard edges of his stubble covered jaw. Not for the first time, she saw how handsome he had become. The boy had truly grown into a man.

Her gaze flicked towards his lips, and when she glanced back up she noticed he was still staring at her. His eyes had darkened with a hungry look. He leaned forward slightly and she found herself being drawn towards him, their lips soon touching. He surprised her by taking control of the kiss, a hand cupping her jaw and keeping her a willing captive. The kiss deepened, and the intensity of it melted something inside of her. She responded eagerly, her hands snaking around his neck. She never wanted it to stop, but it soon did as he gently eased the pressure of his lips and drew back from her.

Their foreheads remained touching as their breaths mingled, a little heavier than normal.

"Wow," she said softly.

"Wow is the word," he agreed, pulling her against him. There wasn't much more to be said, as they processed this new advancement in their relationship. They still hadn't admitted their true feelings to each other, and sure, they had shared kisses before. But nothing like that. It had most definitely NOT been a 'just friends' kiss. It had also lit a fire that neither of them knew how to control. Reminding them they were alone. Just the two of them. Nobody else on the island. For at least the next few days. With not a lot to do except keep themselves alive.

They headed to their makeshift bed not long after. It seemed the most natural thing in the world for Hiccup to press himself up against Astrid's back, draping an arm over her hip till they both fell asleep.

-oOo-

Fishlegs got up early on the fourth morning, heading to the stables to meet up with Meatlug. He had gotten in late the night before, and had gone straight to his hut, intending to catch up with Hiccup and Astrid later today. Looking for the Night Fury and the Deadly Nadder in the stables, he couldn't find either. He shrugged. It wasn't unusual for both of them to head out for an early morning flight. He was keen to find out from Hiccup if the trip had been a successful one or not. But that would have to wait, as he had watchtower duty this morning on the northern side of the island.

Feeding his enthusiastic dragon her favourite lumps of granite, he spoke to her in a loving voice, "There's my favourite Meatlug. Nothing but the best for you. Are you ready for some flying, girl?"

The Gronkle happily showed her appreciation by giving him a huge lick. Fishlegs chuckled as he climbed into the saddle. "Let's go then!"

Meatlug's little wings promptly started beating rapidly, lifting them both into the air and away to the other side of the island.

Sometime later, Snotlout stumbled into the stables dragging a huge basket of fish.

"Hey Hookfang," he sleepily greeted his Monstrous Nightmare. "Ready for breakfast?"

The dragon responded with a snap of his jaws and a vigorous nod. Snotlout threw a fish which Hookfang deftly caught and swallowed. More followed till the basket was empty. Hookfang walked over to it to sniff for some more. He accidentally tipped the basket over but found nothing further.

"Come on Hooky," said Snotlout, kicking the basket aside. "We've got patrol on the southern side this morning." The dragon snorted. "Yeah, I know. But Hiccup and Astrid are back, so we have to do our job or Hiccup gets all 'do your duty, Snotlout' and Astrid gets all 'how many limbs do you want, Snotlout'," he said in a mocking voice.

He stroked the dragon's chin. "But they can't run this place without us. You and me...we're the best riders here. So let's go show them what we can do!" he boasted. Jumping into the saddle, the two flapped away, heading out for their first flight of the day.

The two were only out of sight for moments, before the twins waltzed into the stables, searching for their beloved Zippleback. They saw the empty basket resting on its side.

"Looks like Hiccup and Astrid already left this morning," Ruffnut said to her brother.

"Yeah, those two are always together," Tuffnut complained.

"We're always together, too," pointed out Ruffnut.

"But we're supposed to be together. We're twins," Tuffnut reminded her as the two fed their dragon.

"What if I don't want to be together," said Ruffnut. "What if I want to fly my own dragon," she asked.

Tuffnut staggered backwards, his hand clutched over his chest looking mortally wounded.

"You want to fly your own dragon? Without me?" he asked dramatically.

"Well, no," she admitted. "I'm just saying...what if I did?"

They finished feeding Barf and Belch and hopped into their saddles, continuing to bicker as they went off to their assigned duties.

The stable was now empty. Only silence remained.


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup woke with a start. He wasn't sure why he had been disturbed, but the first thing that came to his attention was the blonde head resting on his shoulder, her arm thrown carelessly across his chest. But before he had a chance to say anything, a huge commotion could be heard outside. Astrid heard it too, and she lifted her head.

"What's that?" she asked, already clambering to her feet as her warrior instincts kicked in. Without stopping to put her armor on first, she picked up her axe and ran outside, Hiccup close behind. The dragons led the way towards the beach, stealthily darting between the shadows still present in the early morning hour. It wasn't long before they found the cause.

"Hunters!" snarled Hiccup.

On the beach they could see dragon hunters capturing a young Snafflefang and forcing it into a dragon proof cage. Their ship was bobbing out at sea with an unrecognizable crest flying on its sail.

"Who are they?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know. I've only seen Vigo's ships. These hunters must be from somewhere else," he told her quietly, not wanting to accidentally reveal their location.

"What's the plan?" she asked, turning to Hiccup. The frown on his face, and thinned lips indicated his mind was already plotting how their damaged crew of four could possibly take out the half dozen burly and well protected dragon hunters that were scattered over the beach. Because they weren't about to let any dragons be taken...by anybody.

He pointed up the beach. "Toothless, you head up there and cause a distraction. Don't get too close, just close enough for them to chase you. As soon as the dragon is released, you circle round back to us."

The Night Fury nodded, and headed off between the trees.

"Astrid, you and Stormfly hide behind those boulders. I'll head for the cage as soon as the hunters are distracted by Toothless, and release the dragon. You cover me for any stragglers."

Astrid nodded and her and Stormfly went to hide in their designated zone, while Hiccup took a slightly different route that would enable him to dart out as soon as it was safe.

It was only moments later, that a shout was heard, "Night Fury!" The hunters on the beach all turned towards this very rare prize, and just like clockwork, they all headed towards it. Only one hunter stayed with the cage and he was soon dispatched by Astrid's axe flying through the air.

Hiccup ran straight towards the dragon, slowing down and putting his hands up in submission as he approached the caged Snafflefang.  
"Hey there...it's okay," he spoke softly, attempting to soothe it. "We're not like them. I just want to let you out of this awful cage. Will you let me do that?" he asked, steadily stretching his hand towards the latch. The frightened beast inside backed up into a corner, growling lowly. Hiccup's hand rested on the latch, easing it down. A metallic 'click' signified the release of the lock. As soon as that small sound was heard, the Snafflefang screeched loudly.

Hiccup's eyes widened when he realised what was about to happen. The hefty dragon lowered itself and charged at the door before Hiccup had a chance to step out of the way. The cage door slammed open, smacking into Hiccup and sending him flying backwards into the sand.

A shout came from further down the beach and Hiccup could hear Astrid yelling his name. The Snafflefang was now free, but had no intentions of flying off just yet. It was distressed and angry, and ready to lash out. Turning towards the young man sprawled on the beach, the blue and brown patched dragon opened its mouth ready to blast him. Hiccup managed to roll over in time to avoid the fiery flame, although he certainly felt the heat.

Staggering to his feet in the soft sand he glanced towards Astrid, wondering why Stormfly hadn't made an appearance to defend him. He soon found out and his heart sunk into his stomach.

Astrid was being held in the grip of another hunter marching her out behind the boulders. It didn't take much to recognize what had happened. The hunters on the beach, hadn't been the only ones on the island. Astrid and Stormfly had been taken by surprise.

Hiccup raced to pick up Astrid's axe and turned towards the Snafflefang, hoping to at least free it. But that thought was soon squashed, when the dragon roared before stumbling up towards the beach….towards the other hunters.

"No!" yelled Hiccup, seeing all his plans come crashing down. He turned towards the hunter that held Astrid, her weapon in his hand held high. His axe handling skills weren't the same as Astrid's but he'd learned a thing or two. Unfortunately, the knife at Astrid's throat and the several crossbows aimed straight at him put a damper on any heroic plans. He dropped the axe.

-oOo-

Fishlegs came in to the Clubhouse that fourth evening, ready to join the others for a meal of stew. He'd come back from watchtower duty earlier that morning, and headed straight for Hiccup's hut. But the twins had distracted him by setting fire to his meditation garden. By the time he and Meatlug had put the flames out, he had forgotten he was looking for their illustrious leader and by the time he had remembered, Hiccup was no longer at his hut. Running into Snotlout, he had asked where Hiccup and Astrid were. Snotlout had shrugged. "Last I heard, the twins said they were looking for an injured Speed Stinger." He shuddered. "Nasty little dragons. Glad they didn't ask me to go with them. Come on Hookfang, we're out of here."

Fishlegs felt upset. Normally Hiccup would ask him to go along when it involved dragons. He didn't understand why he hadn't. Maybe he preferred Astrid now. Maybe Hiccup didn't want his help anymore. Fishlegs decided he didn't need Hiccup's help either, so instead of looking for him the bulky dragon rider went back to his hut, intending to do some more research on the dragon eye. Alone.

But now it was evening, and Hiccup and Astrid had been back for two whole days. Yet Fishlegs had not managed to find either of them. It seemed that everywhere he had gone, he had always just missed them.

He frowned. "Guys, has anyone seen Hiccup and Astrid?" he asked.

The twins were fully involved in a staring contest, so they ignored him. Snotlout was leaning up against his dragon, noisily scooping down stew and spilling it over his shirt. "They were here earlier," he told Fishlegs, throwing a piece of yak meat towards Hookfang, who watched it arc through the air and land on the ground. He narrowed his eyes at his rider and snorted.

"What? You too good for yak?" Snotlout asked the irritated dragon.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "Did you actually see them?" he asked again.

Snotlout picked up the dropped piece of meat, popping it into his mouth. "Nah...the twins told me," he mumbled.

Fishlegs turned towards the still competing siblings. "Did you see Hiccup and Astrid?" he asked.

Tuff blinked and turned towards Fishlegs. "Yeah, he was with you," he told him.

Ruff pumped her fists in the air, "Yes! I won!"

Tuff turned back, "No you didn't," he protested.

"Yes I did," she challenged. "You blinked."

"I was talking to Fishlegs," Tuff claimed.

"Guys..." the big man interrupted. The twins continued to argue.

"Guys," he said a little louder.

"What?" they both answered together.

"Have you actually seen Hiccup and Astrid?"

"Uh...yeah...uh...where did we see them?" Tuff asked Ruff.

She shrugged. "I thought you had seen them."

Snotlout laughed, "You two muttonheads! How could you lose those two?"

Fishlegs turned to him instead. "So have you seen them?"

Snotlout shuffled around. "Uh...you know..." he mumbled.

Tuff put his hand behind his ear, "What was that, Snotty? You lost them?"

Ruff chimed in, "How could you? We can't trust you with anybody."

"Shut up," Snotlout grumbled.

Fishlegs was becoming very concerned. "So nobody has seen Hiccup and Astrid?" He turned to all the silent faces, each shaking their heads. The realization started to hit them all that their leaders were missing, and it showed in their anxious faces.

"They never came home?" asked Snotlout, his dragon looking over in concern.

"Oh, what are we going to do, what are we going to do," said Fishlegs, starting to hyperventilate.

"Fishy! Focus," snapped Ruffnut.

Fishlegs took in some deep breaths, and Meatlug waddled over with a worried look. She gave her rider a big lick.

"Thanks girl. I needed that," Fishlegs said.

"Why don't we ask Hiccup what to do," suggested Tuffnut. Everyone turned to glare at him. "What? He always knows what to do."

"He's the one that's lost," Ruff smacked her brother.

"Okay, then ask Astrid."

Ruff said nothing, only smacked him again.

Fishlegs ignored them and pulled his brows together in concentration. "We can't do anything till tomorrow anyway. It's too late. Then, we can either look for them ourselves, or go get Chief Stoick."

"Woah...Stoick? You want to tell the Chief we've lost his son? Are you mad?" said Snotlout. "No, I vote we go find them ourselves and bring them back here."

"But Skullcrusher is tracker class. He'll be able to smell them," Fishlegs protested.

Snotlout shrugged. "Hookfang will find them. All in favour of not telling Stoick?" he brashly added before Fishlegs could say anything further. The twins both quickly raised their hands with Snotlout.

"But...but..." Fishlegs spluttered.

"Right...we set out in the morning. Now we need to go to bed early so we can get an early start," Snotlout continued. The twins agreed while Fish continued to splutter. The three took their dragons and left, while Fish was left to call after them, "What about supplies? And plans? And maps?" he yelled.

Snotlout waved his hand dismissively as he walked away. "Bah...who needs those? We'll find them tomorrow and I'll be a hero," he declared loudly. "Remember, Hiccup left me in charge!"

Fishlegs huffed in indignation. "He told me to be in charge." But the only one to hear him was Meatlug. She waddled over and nudged him with her flat nose. "Thanks girl. At least you listen to me," Fishlegs told her, giving her a rub.

-oOo-

It took another hour on the fifth morning for Fishlegs to convince the others of where Hiccup and Astrid had gone on their island hunting expedition. He showed them the map and the route North he and Hiccup and meticulously planned prior to the duo's departure, but it hadn't really mattered. Snotlout kept insisting that Astrid always liked to fly South, whilst the twins couldn't make up their minds which way to go unless it was opposite to the other.

By the time Fishlegs had convinced all the riders to head in the same direction as the missing pair, then encouraged them to pack basic supplies, the sun was almost directly overhead. Fishlegs stood beside Meatlug and sighed heavily when the twins started arguing about having their midday meal before they flew off. Surprisingly, it was Snotlout who pulled them into line, telling them they could eat their dried yak meat while they were flying. Even more surprising was that the twins actually agreed to this idea.

Finally, they were off, flying into the afternoon sun. They had only flown a few hours before the exhausted group made camp on a small island. They went to bed early, so they could be ready for the next day's travel.

-oOo-

The sun was out, and the sky was clear except for a few clouds on the sixth day. The dragon riders found the island by midday and gratefully landed, ready to stretch out all the kinks from flying for so long. It was only a relatively small island, with easy access to the tidal pools that scattered all around the fringes. Fishlegs was quite excited to see the dragon egg shell remnants at the bottom of these deep pools. Hiccup had been right! This was another nesting island.

He almost forgot why they were there, as he excitedly ran from pool to pool, searching for evidence of which dragons had laid their eggs here. His notebook was in his hand, recording everything he could see. When he turned to find Hiccup and share his findings, he suddenly remembered what they were doing there.

"Has anyone found evidence of a campsite?" he asked the others.

"What…you mean like a fireplace, flattened grass and scorched earth?" asked Tuffnut.

Fishlegs zeroed in eagerly towards the lanky blonde. "Yes! That's it!"

Tuffnut shrugged. "Nah…haven't seen anything yet."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes in exasperation, and huffed. That boy was enough to make the sanest person go nuts…

Ruffnut pointed towards something. "You mean like this?"

Fishlegs rushed over to see a freshly lit pile of fire sticks, with Barf and Belch circling behind it, ready to settle down.

He frowned. "Did you just make that fire?" he asked with barely concealed anger. How exactly did Hiccup stop himself from going mad with those two?

"Yeah….I thought that's what you wanted," she asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"NO! I wanted to see if Hiccup and Astrid camped here…to see if they made it this far," Fishlegs said tightly, trying very hard not to pull his hair out in frustration.

"Oh... why didn't you just say so," complained Ruffnut.

"I did," Fishlegs reminded her forcibly.

"Fishlegs, Fishlegs," said Snotlout in a patronizing tone. "You should know by now the twins are mutton heads. While I heard you ask for evidence of a campsite...you failed to say Hiccup and Astrid's campsite."

Fishlegs was about to shoot back a comment when Snotlout's words sunk in and he paused.

He shook his head, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but you're right."

Snotlout was surprised. "I am? I mean, of course I am, " he said with his chest puffed out proudly, his arms crossed in front of him. He turned to the twins who were adding a jar of nightmare gel to the fire in order to make the flames bigger. "You two mutton heads. We're supposed to be looking for Astrid and Hiccup's campsite," he yelled.

The sudden fireball that erupted from the flames, was large enough to singe Tuffnut's eyebrows. He patted along the still smoldering pieces of hair. "Woah...cool! No eyebrows. I never have to pluck again," he declared victoriously.

Ruffnut glared at him. "You don't pluck your eyebrows, you yak head."

Tuff fist pumped. "Yesss...see? It's already been worth it."

Ruff merely rolled her eyes.

Fishlegs interrupted, his voice trembling with the urgency. "Guys! Have you seen anything that shows Hiccup and Astrid were here?"

The twins and Snotlout all paused, staring at Fishlegs. They all silently shook their heads.

Fishlegs began to pace. "So that means they never arrived here, which means something happened on the way, which means they've been missing for six days," he mumbled frantically to himself.

"Ngh…they probably got wing cramp and stopped at another island," Snotlout said out loud. The twins were holding a long stick with flames on one end, and were waving it at him. He glared at them.

Ruffnut snickered. "Hold still, Snotty. We want to see what you look like with no eyebrows."

Snotlout immediately placed his hands over his thick, bushy brows and backed away from the disastrous duo.

"NO!" he shouted. "Leave my beautiful brows alone."

Tuff circled around him with the flaming stick. "You should totally try it. You'll be free from the tyranny of plucking, my man," he encouraged enthusiastically.

"I don't pluck," Snotlout ground back in irritation.

Tuff paused. "You don't?"

Ruffnut snorted. "You should."

Fishlegs interrupted. "Snotlout…what did you say?"

Snotlout raised a brow. "What?...I don't pluck?"

Fishlegs shook his head in irritation. "No….before that."

"Uh….they got wing cramp?"

Fishlegs raced to his saddle bag. "You said they stopped at another island." He pulled out a map and unrolled it onto a flat rock. "There's another island west of here. Maybe they diverted and landed there."

The other three crowded around him.

"But that's hours away," Ruffnut complained.

Fishlegs gave her a pointed glare. "It's either fly there…or explain to Stoick why we didn't search it."

Ruff rolled and eyes and sighed in defeat. "Fine…Let's go."

It was only moments before they were all in the air once more, heading west.

-oOo-

"Dragon lovers." The words were spat out viciously, their intention to be the ultimate insult. They were spoken by the thickset dragon hunter named Miguel, who was currently sporting a bruised and bloodied nose courtesy of Astrid. The man had leaned too close to the cage bars where Astrid and Hiccup had been thrown into, and the fiery shield maiden had taken the opportunity to grab the man's shirt and yanked him into the bars. The result was a nicely broken snout.

"And proud of it," she snarled at him, Hiccup holding her back with a restraining arm. "They make better companions than your vile excuse for humanity."

The hunter stood back with a smirk. "Ho…you want company, do you?" he sneered. "We can soon arrange that, you vixen. Maybe a little … _persuasion_ …will cool you down," he threatened.

Hiccup stepped forward, pushing Astrid behind him protectively. He glowered at the man, his face lit with a fury so great that the hunter involuntarily stepped back, despite his much larger bulk.

"You will NOT be touching her, if you know what's good for you," he forced out with a low growl, almost draconic in its nature. His words were echoed by the growls of the nearby caged Deadly Nadder and Night Fury.

The man appeared a little shaken by what he had observed, but he shook it off. He flicked a quick glance at the dragons behind him. "You're lucky the boss wants to keep you in one piece," he warned the pair, even as he backed up. "Otherwise, I'd be taking you out of there to teach you a lesson."

Hiccup stepped closer to the bars, Astrid's hand on his arm the restraining one now. "Bring it on," he invited in a low voice, his expression deadly furious.

"Next time, loser," Miguel sneered, before he promptly turned and almost fled, the door at the far end clanging shut behind him. Hiccup slumped forward, all his bravado having left him.

"Hiccup…are you okay?" came Astrid's soft voice, pulling him around to face her.

"I'm sorry, Astrid," he said, his voice breaking dismally. He brought his hands up to cover his face in guilt, sliding down the bars to the floor.

"Hey, we're not doing this. Remember?" she told him quietly. She knelt down beside him and brought his head up against her shoulder, her good arm gently curling behind his back.

"I can't help it," he mumbled into her neck, the vibrations of his breath warming her skin. "I got us into this mess…and I can't get us out. What if they try to hurt you? What if I can't help you?"

Astrid hesitated for a second before replying. "Hiccup, please look at me," she commanded gently, releasing him.

He sighed, then looked up with a heartbroken expression.

"We're a team…all four of us. We were all there. Blaming yourself is not helping you…and it's not helping us. We all need to have clear heads to find a way out of here. And if you keep thinking about how much you are to blame…which you are not….how are you going to find room in that big brain of yours to plan a way out?" she asked gently, tenderly stroking the hair from his forehead.

Hiccup closed his eyes. "I know. You're right," he admitted. He then opened his eyes and gazed at her with such a fervor, she had to blink. "I promise that we _will_ get out of here," he promised. "All of us…together."

She smiled, tapping his nose. "I have no doubt about that at all," she told him lightly.

He reached up and cupped her jaw with his work-roughened hands. He leant forward and kissed her sweetly.

Releasing her, he asked cautiously, "You know how I feel about you, don't you?"

She blushed a little and gave him a shy smile. "I do. I feel the same about you," she told him without any hint of reserve.

He grinned. "I'm glad. You and me…we'll always be together. I'll always protect you," he promised.

She drew closer, placing her hand on his chest. "And I'll always have your back," she agreed.

Sitting down beside him, she rested her head on his shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around her. She sighed, but his brow was already furrowed, deep in thought.

They had been caged up for the last three days on a dragon hunters ship. After they had been captured and dragged onto the ship, Hiccup had been careful to keep an eye out for anything useful. But so far, he had failed to recognize the ship, the hunters crest on the sails, or any of the hunters. After all the time he and the other riders had spent chasing Vigo and his workers, Hiccup had become familiar with a few of their faces. The rest all blurred into the same generic churlish features, with bulky frames and square heads under those metallic spiked helmets they all wore.

The dragon proof metal was a familiar feature though, and it was used freely in the cages they used to trap unwary dragons…and the holding cells they were now living in, on board the hunter's ship. They were on the same level as the captured dragons, including their own. Neither had their armour on, having leapt straight out of bed. The only weapon they had with them, was Inferno. The hunters hadn't noticed it clamped to his leg. It was of no real worth at the moment, anyway. The blade itself was still sharp, but no match against their opponents. The canisters were all empty, and that was where the real value of the blade lay. Hiccup had decided to keep it hidden for now.

Both Toothless and Stormfly were missing their saddles and flying gear, Astrid and Hiccup having taken them off earlier before they were captured. Not that either dragon was up for flying anyway. Fortunately, the hunters had left Stormfly's wing in its temporary 'sling'. Hiccup was hopeful that the healing fracture hadn't been displaced in all the frackus, ensuring Stormfly would eventually return to the skies without any problems. Apart from being caged in, of course.

Neither dragon was within their sight, but Hiccup could hear them. The first day, Toothless had paced relentlessly in his cage, his bound jaw preventing him from causing any harm. But after a few quiet words from Hiccup, he had stopped and laid down. Although Hiccup knew the Night Fury's eyes would be shrewdly watching everything that happened in the room.

Stormfly had settled fairly easily, having full trust that her favourite humans would release her when they could. After all, she had been in this position once before, in the cages of the Kill Ring back in the days of old Berk. She still kept a wary eye out for the other humans on the ship, though. Stormfly knew very well the treachery and pain that came from unfamiliar human hands.

Despite the confidence and reassurance that Astrid had expressed in him, Hiccup still had trouble believing the turnaround in his life in the last few years. At age nineteen, he had matured both physically and mentally. His confidence had also increased, along with his skills. But hidden deep inside was still that insecure fifteen year old boy, the town screw up and the butt of many jokes. Every now and again, that Hiccup resurfaced.

Now was one of those times.

And the hardest part was…he knew it shouldn't. It wasn't the first time that any of them had been caught by hunters. They'd all managed to escape before. This time shouldn't be any different. Except that it was. All of them were handicapped in one way or another. They couldn't come out all dragons blazing like they had on previous occasions. He was going to have to think this one out.

And this was the reason for his shakiness. His confidence and planning skills had taken several nose dives lately, with Vigo easily manipulating him to do _exactly_ what the evil man wanted. And Hiccup had played right into his hands. He hoped this ship wasn't part of Vigo's doing. Somehow, he didn't think so. Vigo had been using soldiers and hunters pulled from within the Viking community. They all spoke Norse and had similar backgrounds. The hunters on this ship were a mixture of multiple nationalities. He had already heard the unfamiliar tongues being spoken on the ship and this was going to be a problem as Hiccup only understood Norse. How they were going to get out of this…..he didn't know.

-oOo-

Fishlegs had successfully navigated the four riders to another island that had only been a few short hours flight away from the dragon nesting site. Although from the complaints pouring forth from the lips of the others, you'd think they had just completed a lengthy marathon.

His agitation showed. "How are you lot dragon riders again?" he asked in frustration. "We do longer rides than that all the time!"

Snotlout frowned at him. "Yeah, but that's when we're pulverizing Vigo and his hunters. Or flying home to Berk. Or flying back to the Edge. Not when we're only flying aimlessly around," he complained loudly.

Fishlegs sighed as he remembered something. No matter how much Search and Rescue training Hiccup had undergone with them, Snotlout had always been too impatient to get it right. There had been several straw-stuffed 'victims' who had gone up in smoke from the overzealous Nightmare and Snotlout team. Or had been totally missed altogether when the dark haired lad had pulled up too early to complete his search.

But this was a very real search and rescue mission. Their two leaders were missing, and Fishlegs needed Snotlout to pay attention.

"Can't you remember any of the search training Hiccup taught us?" Fishlegs asked the shorter young man in exasperation.

Snotlout crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "Cause I can….that's why I wanted to go South. But noooo, Mr 'I know everything' over here had to go North. And with what result?" he asked sarcastically, throwing his hands in the air. "They're. Not. Here!" he declared loudly.

"Oh for the love of…." Fishlegs spluttered. "For the _last time_ , Snotlout…Hiccup and Astrid flew North! Where the island is? Where we were at midday today? Any of this ringing any bells?" he asked as Snotlout continued to glare at him, any intelligence hidden deep in that thick skull of his and well out of sight from any observer, casual or not.

Tuff shrugged. "We all saw them fly North," he said casually.

"Thank you!" replied Fishlegs in relief, grateful for the unexpected support. Till Ruff spoke up.

"Or did they? Maybe they wanted us to believe they were heading North...so they could secretly fly South."

Fishlegs face palmed himself. "Really?" he deadpanned.

She raised her hands in an offhand gesture, "Hey, if the shoe fits..."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

Snotlout grumbled. "Well, if you're so sure they headed North, then why haven't we found them yet?"

At the bigger man's astonished look, he laughed. "Ha! See? You can't answer it, can you?" he told him smugly.

Fishlegs shook his head. "That's why we are doing a SEARCH and RESCUE. We are trying to find them. To rescue them."

The light bulb seemed to come on, and the buff man formed a silent 'Oh' with his lips.

Tuffnut pointed at the other man and laughed at him. "Ha ha...and they call me slow."

Snotlout growled, crossing his arms across his chest in his embarrassment.

A few hours later, Fishlegs was in distress.

"Where are they?" he worried.

It was late and the gang had set up camp for a second night. They were still on the same island, having finally pulled together and searched it thoroughly. None of them had found any evidence of any visitors to the island, apart from a small flock of terrible terrors that had frightened them when they came bursting out of a grove expectantly. Snotlout had fallen from his saddle and Fishlegs had been the one to rescue him.

Fishlegs was pouring over his map, searching for any possible sites they may have missed. The others were doing their bit by looking over his broad shoulders and pointing out areas for him to consider.

"There!" said Ruff, stabbing at a small dot on the map.

Fishlegs brushed off the lump of dirt. "Sorry!" she said cheerfully.

He sat back. "There is nowhere else for them to go," he said bleakly.

Tuffnut spoke up, "Do ya think there are islands nobody has visited yet?" he asked.

The others turned to stare at him and he froze.

"Nah!" they all agreed simultaneously. Vikings had travelled all over the archipelago. There was no way there could be an unmarked island out there. Although...

"We need to get Stoick and Skullcrusher," Fishlegs decided. "We need a tracker class."

"Hey!" Snotlout protested. "Hookfang can find them. Won't you, Hooky," he simpered to his dragon.

Fishlegs shook his head. "If he was a tracker class, he would have found them already. All in favour of getting Stoick?" he asked, raising his hand. The twins followed his lead. Snotlout reluctantly put his hand up too.

"Good. We'll set off for Berk in the morning."

-oOo-

Stoick was furious.

"How long have they been missing?" he roared into the frightened teens faces.

"Uh... eight days, sir," answered Fishlegs meekly.

"Actually, it's only four days. They were at the Edge for two days, before we noticed they weren't actually there," said Ruffnut nonchalantly.

Stoick's flared nostrils and the heavy brows drawn so close together it looked like a squirrel had taken up residence on his face, showed he was definitely not feeling so casual about it.

"Not helping," hissed Fishlegs sideways.

"Two days?" the Chief roared. "Nobody noticed for two days that my son and Astrid weren't there? Did none of you stop to think it might have been a little odd you hadn't spoken to either of them?"

"When you say it like that..." Snotlout grumbled, trailing off.

"We searched for two days, sir," Fishlegs trembled. "We checked all the islands but couldn't find anything. It took another two days to get back to the Edge, and then to Berk," he squeaked.

Stoick had to fight the urge to send these mutton heads straight to the cells, where hopefully they couldn't do any more damage. Instead, he forced himself to breathe steadily; in through the nose and out through the mouth.

He didn't know why Hiccup felt so unprepared to take on the role of Chief. If he could handle this lot...he could handle anything.

"Get some rest. We're going to search for them. Tomorrow. Early," he snapped, glaring at them in such a manner just daring them to arrive late.

-oOo-

"He's nineteen and a Viking. And don't forget he has Astrid and a Night Fury with him. They'll be fine," said Gobber. The large man was astride his Hotburple dragon, Grump, and attempting to calm down the fears of his anxious friend.

"I'll believe that when I see it," replied Stoick in his deep baritone.

The two were leading the gang of four back to the Edge, where they intended to pick up the last known scent with Stoick's dragon, Skullcrusher. From there, they hoped to find the missing pair safe and well on some forgotten beach that the teens hadn't bothered to search yet. Gobber's words didn't soothe the irritating niggle that was eating away at his stomach.

It wasn't just his son that was missing. It was Hiccup, the pride of Berk, the young man solely responsible for what they were all doing now...riding dragons. He was also the heir of Berk, the next chief of the small village. The loss of such a promising young man would not only devastate his father, it would also devastate the town, leaving their future in doubt.

Astrid was one of the most valuable shield maidens in the town and her loss would impact the village's ability to deflect the war-mongering of any hostile tribes. Not to mention he thought of her as his future daughter-in-law. Her loss would be like losing two children in one painful blow. He needed to find both of them, alive and well. He only hoped they weren't too late.


	4. Chapter 4

A door at the end of the hallway clanged loudly. Astrid and Hiccup shifted to cautiously observe who was coming in. They both relaxed when they realised it was only the young boy that came to feed them and the dragons. They were already familiar with the slight lad with the dirty blonde short hair, but this was the first time he had come on his own. So far, they hadn't heard him speak, so they didn't know if he could speak Norse or not.

He was dragging a basket much too big for him to handle alone, down the middle of the room. Stopping at the first cage, he pulled a fish out of the basket and tentatively held it between the bars. The dragon inside snapped it's jaws making the boy hurriedly throw the fish in, yanking his hand back as quickly as possible.

His eyes were wide open in terror, and the two observers could see his breathing accelerate. Glancing back towards the door, the lad dragged the basked to the next cage, repeating the process, clearing terrified.

Hiccup was intrigued. He noted the way the boy kept glancing back at the door, his eyes guarded as if he expected trouble to come bursting through at any moment. Still, the boy doggedly kept at his work, until he had fed a measly portion of food to most of the dragons. The door at the end of the hallway swung open, clanging loudly. The boy's head whipped back to see who had so nosily gained entry. His eyes opened wider in fear, if that was even possible and the large burly man who had entered gave the boy a serious tongue lashing in another language. It clearly wasn't complimentary if the way the boy cringed was anything to go by.

The man left, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving the boy trembling in his boots. He hurriedly finished his job, literally throwing fish in through the bars of the remaining cages, including theirs. Before he left out the door, Hiccup called out in a soft voice, "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. The boy stopped and stared at them with a very surprised look. "Do you speak Norse?" Hiccup asked again.

The boy hesitated, but said nothing. Before Hiccup could ask anything more, he was gone.

"What are you thinking?" Astrid asked him, seeing the familiar look on his face whenever he was thinking deeply.

"That young boy clearly doesn't get much affection, does he?" he said quietly.

She shook her head. "No, that's obvious," she agreed.

"He seems to understand Norse too," Hiccup added.

"Mmm," was Astrid's response, waiting to see where he was going with this.

"Maybe we can reach him," he suggested and Astrid saw straight away what he was trying to do.

"You want to make friends with him?" she asked warily. "He's one of the hunters. Won't he just tell on us?"

Hiccup turned towards the closed door. "Something tells me he's not one of them. He's not in a cage, but I think he's just as much a prisoner as we are."

-oOo-

Stoick sadly surveyed his son's hut at the Edge. Everywhere he looked, he could see memories of all the things Hiccup had achieved in the year or more since he had stood before him and the council, begging for a chance to explore with the Dragon Eye. Laid out on every available surface were plans, maps, pictures of newly discovered dragons, half built inventions...the dreams and aspirations of a great man. A great Chief.

He sighed, turning to find an item of clothing for Skullcrusher to use. He picked up an old green tunic that Hiccup had grown out of and rubbed the worn fabric with his thumb. He smiled sadly, remembering the last time he had seen this shirt on his son. Before he'd grown those extra few inches. When it felt like Hiccup was still a boy. Not the man he now was.

Reluctantly putting the tunic back, he pulled out another one that had been worn much more recently. He made sure to close the door of the hut behind him, as he brought the item to Skullcrusher for him to sniff closely.

Hopping back into the saddle, he waved the way forward to the other riders already waiting for him.

When they were in the air, Gobber drifted closer to his friend. "We'll find him, Stoick. He's survived everything else so far. He'll survive this too."

Stoick turned soulless eyes to the hefty blacksmith. "I hope so, Gobber. I...I don't know what I would do without him. Hiccup or Astrid. But every man's luck has to run out at some stage."

"Well, the way Hiccup does things...maybe his bad luck will run into trouble too," Gobber suggested cheerfully. But his mouth turned down even as he finished saying the words. Turning his face away, he was left with a heavy ache in his heart. Leaning forward, he spoke quietly to his own dragon, "Come on Grump. Let's find them."

Grump snorted, and surged forward.

-oOo-

Hiccup was waiting expectantly the next day. Even though he and Astrid were beginning to feel weaker from the lack of food, and being confined below decks for over a week now, there was a ray of hope in their lives. The young boy offered a chance, a way out of their situation. If only they could convince him they want to be his friends.

The door at the end of the hall clanged open. Hiccup and Astrid stepped forward with baited breath, giving each other a small grin when the young lad entered on his own. He was dragging the heavy basket with him, and clearly struggling. He reached the first cage and pulled out a fish, flicking it fearfully between the bars.

Hiccup called out softly, "Hey...you're okay. He won't hurt you. He's just hungry."

The boy appeared startled as he glanced quickly between the young Snafflefang and the two riders. The dragon gulped his one fish down quickly. Noticing the boy still in front of him, the dragon rushed up to the bars in an effort to beg for more food. Unfortunately, this only frightened the lad more and he scurried away to the next cage, throwing the fish through the bars, before almost leaping to the next cage in his fear.

Hiccup called out. "It's okay, it's okay," he tried to soothe.

But the boy gave him a scared look, not slowing down in his appointed task.

Hiccup saw his chance slipping away, so he pushed ahead. "My name's Hiccup. And this is Astrid," he said, indicating to the blonde woman beside him. "Do you have a name?" he asked.

The boy barely glanced at him, seeming to pick up even more speed instead. He remained quiet.

Hiccup continued to speak softly. "You know...where we come from, everyone is a friend to dragons. They are kind, intelligent creatures...not the terrible and dangerous beasts we all thought they were."

The boy paused long enough to stare at Hiccup with a complete look of disbelief. He obviously thought Hiccup had completely lost his mind, judging by how he moved himself a little further away from the caged pair. Hiccup smiled a little. At least the reaction...although not the one he was after... confirmed the boy could at least understand Norse.

"You see that Night Fury? He's my best friend...well, my best non-human friend," Hiccup amended after receiving an offended nudge to his ribs.

The boy glanced at the black dragon which had been the subject of many excited conversations on the ship. The lad had certainly heard all about the fearsome reputation of the animal, but right now it was doing some kind of excited wriggle at the sound of his name. He raised a quick eyebrow. The dragon didn't look fierce at all with his wide open eyes. In fact, the dragon looked almost cute, even with the muzzle on.

"That Deadly Nadder...her name is Stormfly. She belongs to Astrid," Hiccup said, seeing the boy take an interest.

The lad glanced over at Stormfly, who had perked up at the sound of her name. She gave a squawk, making him jump. He blinked, in awe at the dragon's obvious understanding of their conversation. This was nothing like what he understood about the beasts...and a little difficult to comprehend.

Hiccup took his attention again. "What's your name?"

The boy appeared startled at the question, and hesitated. Just when Hiccup thought the lad was about to answer, the door clanged open, making the boy snap around to the door, his face instantly frozen in terror. A large man stormed into the room, aiming straight for the cowering youth. Hiccup and Astrid could see what was going to happen, but were powerless to prevent it. A huge brutish hand slapped across the young boy's face, sending him flying across the room as a torrent of verbal abuse was poured upon him. The boy crumpled into a corner, whimpering. A red welt could clearly be seen, his eye already starting to swell.

"Hey! Stop that!" yelled Hiccup, grabbing the bars. "He's only a kid...leave him alone."

The large man named Jarek, turned his scowling face straight towards him instead. "You want beating too?" he snarled, in halting Norse. "I give you beating, you traitor."

Astrid gasped as the man quickly had the cage open. She tried to pull Hiccup back towards her, but he was ripped from her arms and hurled mercilessly onto the floor where the boy had been. Toothless struggled against his muzzle, growling deeply. He smashed himself against the dragon proof cage bars, while Stormfly squawked loudly in protest.

Astrid yelled, "Hiccup!" but was prevented from coming out and helping when the guard slammed the door shut on her. Hiccup had fallen to the floor but didn't wait for an invitation to stand back up again. His hand twitched as he debated whether to bring out Inferno or not. Even without the flames and gas, it was a devastating weapon. But not devastating enough to get them all out. Not yet anyway. His hand left his side.

WARNING: description of violence to follow

A meaty fist connected with Hiccup's chin, sending him backwards to the floor, sliding over to where the boy was still curled up. The lad sobbed, and pulled his arms tighter over his face, his legs curled into his chest.

Hiccup staggered to his feet, being sure to keep himself between the burly man and the boy. He ducked under the next swing, but couldn't avoid the punch to his stomach making him double over. He groaned, but held his stance.

"Hero, huh?" asked Jarek, taking a step back. He gave a malicious grin, as he beckoned Hiccup towards him with his hands. "Come on, hero. Try hit me," he demanded.

Hiccup stared at him with hate filled eyes. He didn't like bullies. Especially those who picked on defenseless children. Astrid was staring at him with wide open eyes, her warrior facade slipping as she watched helplessly while Hiccup was being beaten harshly. Both of them realised that fighting back at this point would be a fatal decision. If he did fight back, it would likely only incur the wrath of all the other hunters who could easily barge through that door and destroy all of them. So Hiccup had no choice but to take it.

The growls from the two loyal dragons, disturbed the rest of the dragons held in the cages. They all shifted uneasily, the noise level inside the cages getting louder.

Hiccup reluctantly shook his head, as the other man, gloated. "You no good? No hit? Okay, I hit you instead."

He smashed into Hiccup's jaw, knocking him flat out. Hiccup lay half dazed on the floor, rolling over in his pain. A solid boot landed into his side, bringing a fresh wave of overwhelming agony. He coughed, spitting out blood on the floor.

END VIOLENT BIT

Astrid screamed in rage, shaking the bars. Toothless and Stormfly both hurled themselves at their cage doors, desperate to come to Hiccup's aid.

Astrid yelled, "Stormfly! Single spine shot."

The 'shick' of the Nadder arming up her tail could barely be heard amongst the commotion, when two other hunters burst through the door. One of them was Miguel, the man whose nose Astrid had broken. They saw Hiccup and the boy curled up on the floor, and the gloating Jarek standing over them. Both of them raised their hands and started yelling at Jarek in his own language. One went to roughly drag the boy to his feet, pushing him towards the door. The lad didn't hesitate. He left.

The hunter Miguel shoved at the perpetrator, who was red faced and yelling back. Neither noticed the single shot fired at them from Stormfly's deadly accurate tail. It flew through the air, aimed directly at the man who had dared to target Hiccup, but he moved at the last second, and the shot sailed harmlessly past him. It imbedded in the wall behind him instead.

Nobody noticed except Hiccup and Astrid, their eyes locked on that conspicuous spine standing out proud from the wall. Astrid had yelled the order for Stormfly to fire in desperation, but now the consequences of that action could be too high if the others noticed it.

The two late comers forced Jarek out the door, who shouted and complained the whole way. Once he was out the way, Miguel stayed behind to pick Hiccup roughly off the floor. He kept a firm hand under Hiccup's arm, keeping him upright. Suddenly Hiccup sagged to the side, careening into the wall. The hunter grunted and pulled him up again, before opening the cage and pushing him inside. Astrid received him eagerly, taking him into her arms and helping his battered body to the floor.

The hunter gave him a pitying look, before he too left the room. The dragons slowly settled, except for Toothless and Stormfly, who continued to pace.

Hiccup coughed out, "I'm okay bud. I'm okay. Settle down please?"

Toothless growled his frustration, but did eventually settle into an uneasy calm. Astrid encouraged Stormfly to do the same, even though she herself was torn between pure terror and absolute rage. She did her best to soothe his bruising, but he continued to lay curled up on the floor waiting for the pain to settle. He only rolled over long enough to expose the incriminating spine tucked under his shirt. Astrid grabbed it and quickly hid it in a darkened corner of their cell. She went back to caring for Hiccup.

"Please don't do that again," she whispered into his ear.

He gave a half smile and groaned. "I'll try not to, m'lady," he promised.

-oOo-

Stoic was devastated. The group of dragon riders were following the trail where Hiccup and Astrid were supposed to have gone, but they were having no success. Skullcrusher, despite all his best efforts, had been unable to pick up any scent. Stoick had been afraid of this. It had been too long.

Today was the twelfth day the pair had been missing, and not even the finely tuned nose of the Rumblehorn could be expected to find anything after all this time.

They had already been flying for several hours this morning, having widened the original search area. Skullcrusher subtly pulled to correct his path, and Stoick was instantly on alert as he eagerly searched ahead for whatever it was that had claimed the big dragon's interest. They were over open ocean, but with Hiccup's spyglass, he could see a tiny speck being tossed on the waves. He pointed towards the object, and yelled to Gobber, "Something's down there."

Snotlout heard the message and raced ahead to swoop down to the waves to retrieve it. He returned a few moments later, tossing the item towards the Chief.

Stoick held the sodden item up, and was completely stunned. It was Hiccup's saddlebag...complete with a spare tail fin for Toothless and tools. He turned towards his friend, and saw the same devastated expression reflected back towards him that he had on his own face. No saddle bag meant no flying harness. No flying harness meant...

"Keep searching," he roared to the others, all waiting close by for his orders.

Stoick didn't know how far the bag had drifted from its original location, but he was not going to back off now. If there was the slimmest chance Hiccup and Astrid were still alive somewhere, he was going to keep searching till he found them. He would not give up.

It wasn't until late that afternoon that Rumblehorn became excited once more. "What is it, Skullcrusher. Have you found them?"

In answer, the dragon pulled them towards an island. Fishlegs was frantically searching his maps. "It's not marked on any of the maps," he called out anxiously to his Chief. "We didn't know it was here," he begged frantically.

Stoick barely registered his words as he focused on where Skullcrusher was leading them. They flew over the island, eventually landing near a small cave. Straight away, Stoick could see the remains of a fire pit. He hurriedly dismounted from the saddle, the others not far behind. Racing into the cave he roared, "HICCUP! ASTRID! WHERE ARE YOU?"

He could hear the others calling for the lost pair outside. His eyes adjusted to the gloom inside the cave, and what he saw made him shudder and drop to his knees. Scattered around the area he could see the saddles and flying equipment from both Toothless and Stormfly. Towards the back was an oilskin over a pile of dried grass where they had obviously laid. But what was more disturbing than that was the discarded armour from both riders. None of it looked like it had been disturbed for quite a few days. He had his suspicions about what had happened, which were soon confirmed when...

"Dragon hunters!" Fishlegs yelled, his short legs pumping hard as he ran back from the beach. His arms were flapping wildly as he halted his mad dash in front of the cave. Stoick was out in a flash, surprisingly agile for such a big man. He placed a calming hand on Fishlegs shoulder, waiting impatiently for the younger man to catch his breath.

"Start again, lad. What did you find?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Dragon hunters, sir," he puffed out. "On the beach. We found this." Fishlegs pulled out an axe. Stoick reached out to take it from him, immediately recognizing it. This was Astrid's axe.

Gobber clambered up behind the husky lad, and Stoick turned to him with a silent question. The old blacksmith answered it with a nod. Stoick's hands gripped tighter around the handle, and his brows pulled together in silent rage. He walked over to his dragon and pushed the axe in front of Skullcrusher's nose. "Find them," was the short order.

The other riders were already in the saddle by the time Stoick climbed into his. "Let's go."

-oOo-

It had been two days since the attack, and Hiccup was back on his feet. Their starved condition and thinner frames meant that he had taken a little longer than normal to recover. Although the bruises were still clearly visible.

Hiccup and Astrid hadn't seen their little friend the next day, but today he reappeared. They were glad to note the marks on his face had almost disappeared. Shyly glancing in their direction as he dragged the huge basket in, he began his usual routine of feeding fish to the dragons. He was still fearful as he threw fish in between the bars, but they could see the curiosity building in him. Especially as he fed the fearsome Night Fury and the Deadly Nadder. Those two dragons gently accepted the fish he gave them, crooning softly in reassurance. He lingered in front of their cages a little longer.

"Hey...are you okay?" Hiccup addressed the lad through the bars.

The boy looked over, but this time he didn't hesitate. He nodded.

Hiccup and Astrid smiled at each other. At last! Success! Now they only needed to grow on that small start.

"What's your name?" Astrid asked gently.

The boy smiled shyly and spoke to them in perfect Norse, "Trygve."

"Trustworthy one," murmured Hiccup. "Do you like dragons?" he asked cautiously.

The boy's eyes opened wide and he shook his head vigorously.

"No? Do you see Toothless and Stormfly over there?" Hiccup asked.

The boy glanced over and nodded.

"They are very friendly," Hiccup reassured him. "They have been with us for a long time now. We trust them completely to look out for us. And they know we will do anything to protect them."

The boy started up his feeding routine again, but kept glancing over at the two dragons blinking at him in a very friendly matter.

"Would you like to touch them?" Hiccup asked.

The boy was startled and stared back at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"They won't hurt you," Astrid told him gently. "They know you're not like the others. They like you."

Trygve shook his head vigorously and quickly finished up. He threw the remaining fish through the bars, and hurried out.

Astrid bent to collect the fish he had tossed towards them.

"Hiccup?"

He turned his attention from the door to Astrid. She held something in her hand.

It was a small lump of dry bread.

-oOo-

Stoick was disheartened. After finding the island where Hiccup and Astrid had apparently been captured by dragon hunters, they had scoured the oceans in search for young couple. Stoick and his small crew had been flying through the skies for almost a week, but had found nothing more than trader ships and fishing ships. Stoick had even attempted to board a couple of them, to try and find out if anyone knew of the whereabouts of any hunters. Not surprisingly, that hadn't gone down so well, and he had been forced to leave rather than endanger the lives of the frightened crews, or his own young warriors.

The only ship to accept them was Johann. Unfortunately, he was unable to provide any useful information. He told them he was heading further North, but would gladly keep an ear out for any word to send back to them. Stoick had thanked him, then left in a more dispirited mood than ever.

The small group had cautiously landed outside a few small towns, sending the twins in as spies to find any news on the pair. They always came back shaking their heads. Stoick himself would have loved to gone in, but he was well known in many of the regions they travelled to. If he had been spotted it would have caused all kinds of trouble for them. They did manage to find a few allies, but even they were unable to help. It seemed as if the young couple had disappeared off the face of the earth.

The longer they travelled and found nothing, the more the entire group fell silent. Not even the twins were in the mood for their usual rambunctious behavior.

Stoick was tired. He knew the others were feeling the same, even though none dared to complain. He and Gobber had been gone from Berk for almost two weeks. Hiccup and Astrid had been missing for over three. With a heavy heart, he knew he had to make the call.

It was time to head home.

-oOo-

The small gang of four were still in shock. They were currently in the process of packing up and locking down Dragon's Edge, after Stoick had told them he was shutting the base down and they were going home to Berk with him. Without Hiccup and Astrid to lead the small group, it seemed to be a foolhardy idea to leave the others on their own. The riders would take what they could by dragon back. The rest would be collected by boat later on.

But it wasn't this that caused their emotional turmoil. They had already made that decision for themselves much earlier. No...it was what happened when they first flew in to their island that was causing them grief.

As they had made their final approach, Snotlout had been quick to note something.

"Dragon Hunters, sir!" he had yelled to Stoick, pointing out the familiar crest on the ship which was approaching the back end of the island.

Stoick had immediately headed towards the ship that was attempting to sneak in under cover of the small islets that were plentiful on that side. His nostrils flared and his brows furrowed with an overpowering rage. He would find out what happened to Hiccup and Astrid, even if he had to extract the information by blood.

Of course, as soon as Stoick had flown in close enough, the arrows and bolas had been thrown at him thick and fast. Gobber had gone in with him, whereas the four riders had taken up their very familiar roles as back up, blasting away any weapons that dared to come too close to the single minded Chief.

To everyone's surprise Vigo and Ryker were both on board the ship. Stoick had landed in front of them and demanded they tell him where Hiccup and Astrid had been taken. The Grimborn brothers had glanced towards each other, then Vigo had slyly told the frantic father that he would hand over the missing pair...but only if the riders gave up the Edge and all its dragons to him, as well as leave his ships alone.

Stoick was not stupid. He could see Vigo had no idea where his son and Astrid were, but had still dared to capitalize on his loss anyway. He saw red.

The four riders all gasped in shock as Stoick dispatched both brothers with no compassion at all. He then turned his attention to the rest of the hunters that foolishly decided to charge the two old warriors. Gobber was right beside him, supporting him in the way only a best friend could. With every slash of his huge axe, Stoick thought of all the times these worthless scum had endangered the lives of his son and the others. He thought of every time Hiccup had tried to seek peace, but was shot down by greedy and exploitive men instead. Those willing to destroy man and beast for money and power.

Today there was no peace.

There was only vengeance.

When the two men had finished, Stoick had climbed back into the saddle, his expression grim and without remorse. Flying above the boat, he gave a direct command to the dragons, "Burn it."

All of the dragons were quick to comply, understanding the grief this huge man held.

But that was now over, and the crew were gathering what they needed for the trip back to Berk. Although the sheer brutality of what they had seen would not escape their memories any time soon.

Gobber had escorted Stoick to his son's hut, but had wisely left him alone. It was only after the door had closed that he allowed his stoicism to slip, slumping onto his son's bed with his face cradled in his massive hands, the tears trickling silently between his fingers.

The next day, Berk welcomed back their Chief and Blacksmith…and only four dragon riders.


	5. Chapter 5

Astrid was worried. Hiccup had woken that morning from sleeping on the fetid floor of their cage with a cough. Neither of them had fared very well in the harsh conditions imposed on them so far. They were grateful they were in the same cage, so they could at least keep each other warm in the cooling conditions. Winter would be approaching in a few weeks' time, and the slight nip in the air was beginning to be felt.

The darkened hollows under their eyes were deepening as their energy depleted. Their clothes were already hanging loosely on them, despite all the efforts by their newest friend, young Trygve. He was only allowed to officially give them one fish each day to share between them…the same allowance the dragons were getting…and it was clearly not enough for neither man nor beast. But the young boy had assured them, that the boat would be docking soon. In the meantime, he smuggled as much food as he could lay his hands on for the pair. Which was generally only tiny portions. But Hiccup and Astrid ate it gratefully and thanked him profusely.

Trygve had been originally very reluctant to draw close to the pair. Mostly because in his short life other humans always represented pain and despair. He had also been told by the hunters that the young couple were not to be trusted, and were considered traitors to mankind because they chose dragons over people. Although Trygve had already seen Hiccup put himself in danger to protect him, a stranger. So the young boy had been confused over what he had been told…and what he had seen with his own eyes. Still, he had done his best to repay Hiccup with small gifts of food.

They hadn't gained his complete trust until one day, Hiccup had sat in his cage while Trygve fed the beasts their daily portion of fish, and calmly told him his story of when he was a young child like Trygve. How he had felt ignored and abused by others because he was 'different'.

Astrid had sat beside Hiccup during the telling of this story, a silent tear drifting down her cheek as she recalled the part she played in alienating Hiccup as a youth. But he held her hand the entire time, to remind her that was all in the past and forgotten.

Hiccup went on to tell Trygve that despite all his so called 'weaknesses', things changed. Those same qualities were what ended up benefiting the villagers of Berk. He had taken a chance to think differently to what he had been taught…and it had resulted in wonderful blessings.

Trygve believed them that day and took Hiccup's story to heart. He had hesitantly told them a little about himself. He was only twelve years old, and had been on the hunter's ship for about a year after being taken from his village on a small island.

From there, it had still taken a lot of persuasion for Hiccup to convince the lad that dragons were not the evil beasts he had been led to believe, using Toothless and Stormfly as examples. He encouraged the boy to approach them and find out for himself. Eventually the lad had plucked up enough muster to approach the muzzled Toothless, and had extended his shaky hand into the cage. When Toothless had pushed his snout into his palm and crooned, Trygve had been astonished. A huge smile broke out on his face as he felt the smooth scales and experienced the doe eyes that Toothless was perfect at. How could anybody not love a Night Fury?

Trygve had excitedly approached Stormfly after that and received a similar reception. He was excited, but still reluctant to get too close to the other dragons. Hiccup had a plan to help him overcome that too. And it involved a key.

Astrid had wanted to set all the dragons free and use them to blow the ship apart. Hiccup had to remind her, that Toothless and Stormfly still couldn't fly, and they hadn't yet earned the trust from the other dragons. Instead, the three of them had worked out the best way for the young boy to 'liberate' the key to the cages from the hunters. Once they had it, the rest of the plan was going to be incredibly risky and they would have very limited time. But with the possibility of reaching land soon, Hiccup wanted to be ready.

Today was the first day they planned to use the key, and of course Hiccup had to go and get sick. But Astrid also knew that wouldn't stop him at all. So they waited patiently for Trygve to arrive. He soon did, rushing in through the door breathless and flustered. He was struggling to drag the extra heavy basket of fish with him, having secretly added a few extras.

"Trygve! Did you get the key?" Hiccup asked anxiously as soon as the door closed behind the boy.

Trygve paused. He fished a small object out of the folds of his tunic, a wide grin on his face as he wriggled it in front of them.

"Good lad," said Hiccup in relief before a coughing fit overtook him. The boy's smile slipped straight away, and Astrid worriedly rubbed Hiccup's back, feeling every rib under her hand.

"Are you okay?" Trygve asked in concern.

Hiccup waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a cough, that's all. Nothing important," he insisted. "Try the key," he directed when Trygve took too long to refocus.

"Oh yeah. Sorry." The lad carefully stuck the key in the keyhole and turned it, hoping it wouldn't make any noise. A small squeak but nothing major. Ships creak and groan all the time, covering up all the smaller innocuous sounds easily.

He pulled on the cage bars, and for the first time in over nearly a month, Hiccup and Astrid were free...for now.

Time was short. They didn't know when one of the hunters would come looking for the lad, but Trygve had already set up an early warning alert system. He had left a mop and bucket outside the door. Any intruders would trip over it, alerting them. If they were lucky, the water in the bucket would spill creating an extra diversion.

The very first thing Hiccup and Astrid did, was race towards their own dragons and opened the cage doors to rush in for a long overdue reunion.

"Hey bud, I missed you so much," whispered Hiccup to the Night Fury. He undid the straps holding the muzzle on and stroked the scales rubbed raw underneath. He flung the detested instrument of torture into a far corner. He had no intentions of replacing it. He wanted it off. Toothless stretched his maw wide open, releasing the atrophied muscles of his jaw. Smacking his lips together to get used to his mouth again, Toothless nudged up against his boy, wrapping him under his wings.

"Toothless," came Hiccup's muffled voice. "I'm glad you're okay too, bud. But we haven't time for hugs right now. We'll make up for it later when we get free, okay?"

Toothless reluctantly released him, and gave him a lick instead, coating Hiccup with dragon saliva. Although the dragon soon regretted it, his tongue sticking out as he shuddered and screwed his eyes shut in disgust.

"Yeah, yeah. You try not bathing for a month and see how good you taste," grumbled Hiccup, earning a giggle from the lad observing it all.

Astrid was likewise wrapped up in a long cuddle from her own gently squawking Nadder.

"Hey girl. Glad to see me?" she whispered, hanging on tightly to the thick scaly neck.

Stormfly nudged her with her beak. "I know, me too," replied Astrid.

"Wow," breathed Trygve in excitement. "You guys really do love your dragons."

Hiccup smiled and nodded, giving his dragon one last scratch under the chin. "Of course we do. They are incredible creatures...ones that have been severely wronged for the last three hundred years."

Hiccup and Astrid had to lock their dragons back into the cages, because there was a plan that needed to be followed. It was a bittersweet moment, and the young couple were glad to have been reunited, but dismayed to have to purposely lock them away again. Astrid grabbed the basket and went to feed the dragons, handing two fish to Hiccup first.

"Come on Trygve...time for you to meet your own friend," he said, holding out one fish to the boy and watching him nervously take it.

Hiccup strode over the young Snafflefang in the first cage...the very same one that Hiccup and Astrid had been trying to rescue on the beach. It was one of the few that Hiccup could see from their cage, and he had noticed the dragon had taken a shine to the lad.

He was hoping he hadn't misjudged the beast as he had the first time, when they had been unceremoniously captured. He decided to approach it first.

"Hey, little guy," he said quietly, extending his hand through the cage. "I know you're feeling sad all locked up in here with the rest of us, but I would really like to help you out. Will you let me?" Hiccup asked. The Snafflefang tilted his large head curiously, keeping his gaze on Hiccup. Sensing the dragon's relaxed mood, Hiccup kept his eye on the dragon, one hand outstretched mere inches from the bulbous snout while he beckoned Trygve over with the other.

"This is your cue," he told the boy. "Come over here next to me, then extend your hand like mine."

The boy suddenly grew nervous at what he was about to do, and hesitated. Hiccup, fully aware of their limited time passing too quickly, gave an impatient flick of his wrist. "Quickly now. We haven't much time for this."

Trygve jumped at the reminder and rushed forward, stumbling. Hiccup caught him.

"Hey now," he chuckled. "Steady, steady. It's okay. He likes you. Now, extend your hand like mine. That's it...now relax, and turn your head away."

The boy took in a deep breath, closed his eyes and turned away. He didn't notice Hiccup carefully withdraw his own hand, or the Snafflefang step closer till...

Trygve snapped open his eyes when he felt a warm...connection...with the Snafflefang, who had pushed his snout into the palm of his hand. Trygve turned and felt a huge smile light up his face as he gazed into the expressive eyes of the beast...no, his new best friend. He placed two hands on the warm scaly face and softly stroked the massive jaw, overwhelmed and overawed at what was happening.

Hiccup's low voice spoke warmly beside his ear. "Now give him the fish," he told him, indicating the mackerel in his hand. The lad said nothing as he offered it to the dragon. Trygve was used to dragons snapping hungrily for their food, and he braced himself for the same reaction. But he was surprised again, when the dragon only reached over and very gently, took the proffered fish from his hand. Hiccup handed him a second mackerel, which the dragon eagerly accepted from Trygve. When it was all gone, the lad stroked the warm face of the dragon and whispered, "I'm sorry. That's all I can give you for now. But whenever I can, I'll bring some more."

The dragon blinked owlishly at him, and gave a small croon as he nudged the boy's hands.

"There you go," said Hiccup proudly. "I knew you could do it. Now all that's left is to name him."

Trygve grinned hugely. Astrid walked over to the other side of the lad and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You have a friend for life now. He will be loyal to you wherever you go. You need to show him you deserve that trust...but I don't think that will be a problem, will it?" she asked, smiling fondly down at the lad.

He shook his head, still grinning broadly and stroking the dragon.

A noise outside grabbed all their attentions and Hiccup hissed, "Party's over. Time to go."

He and Astrid strode quickly into their cell across from the Snafflefang, closing the door behind them. Trygve pulled the key out of his pocket to lock it, but fumbled, causing the key to drop to the ground with a distinctive clatter as the door opened up to an irate hunter named Ulf nursing a bruised shin.

"Trygve!" he yelled in Norse. "What are you still doing in here? That floor outside was supposed to have been mopped ten minutes ago."

Trygve put his foot over the key on the floor and replied hurriedly, "Yes sir, sorry sir...I dropped the fish and had to pick them up and..."

The hunter interrupted, "I'm not interested. Pick up the basket and move out," he demanded.

"Yes sir," stuttered Trygve, making a show of picking up the fallen basket in front of him, all the while he was carefully extending his back leg with the key hidden under his foot towards Hiccup and Astrid's cage. He gave a short flick to send it the rest of the way under the door where it was quickly met by Hiccup's booted foot. The boy then picked up the basket and moved to the other side of the cages so the hunter was staring at him with his back to the imprisoned pair. He dropped the basket again, earning a growl of disapproval from Ulf, but it gave Hiccup time to lock the cell door with the key.

"Get out now!" yelled the hunter and Trygve nodded and bowed again before crossing back over in front of Hiccup, who discreetly dropped the key into the outstretched basket as it brushed against the cage. The boy then headed towards the door, swinging the basket forward as he walked and slipping his hand into it to pick up the key, returning it to his pocket. He walked through the door, the hunter close behind.

Once they were gone, Astrid sagged against Hiccup. "Phew, that was close!" she murmured. Hiccup's arms slid around her and he pulled her closer, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Mmmm," he agreed. "He's a brave lad, that's for sure." He nodded towards the Snafflefang who was staring at the closed door. "At least he's made a friend."

Astrid smiled and reached up to peck him on the cheek. "He's made three friends. And you were fabulous too."

Hiccup blushed a little, but smiled at her praise. "So were you," he told her warmly, rubbing her arms.

She sighed and dropped her head to his chest. "Phase one...complete. What's next?"

His lips thinned thoughtfully. "More danger I'm afraid. This is where you and I come in. We need to train all the dragons here if we plan to help them. If we don't, they may react unpredictably when we need them the most. And that's going to be a challenge when they're all confused and half starved. Not to mention we will only have a short amount of time to do it. Plus the risk of being discovered. And we'll be docking in a few days' time."

She rolled her eyes. "Is that all? Just a walk in the forest then," she murmured dryly.

He grinned at her. "So what else is new?"

She raised her eyebrows and sighed. "I think you only travel down one path...and it's called 'the hard way'. The gate to easy street has been permanently locked."

Hiccup chuckled, but his laughs turned into coughs.

Astrid rubbed his back, her expression turning serious. "See? Classic example. It's bad enough we're weak and starving...you decided you had to get sick too."

"I didn't exactly invite this situation," he murmured as she forced him to sit down, his back against the sloped walls of the ship.

She kneeled in front of him and cupped his jaw in her hands, forcing him to look up at her. Her blue eyes were shiny, the grief lines on her face evident as she told him, "Hiccup Haddock...you made a promise to me...that as long as we are together, we'd get home. I plan to hold you to that promise. Don't you leave me, you hear?" Her voice wobbled, and she had to take in a deep breath to gain control.

Hiccup pulled her down to lie half over him, and he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"Shh, Astrid. It's going to be okay. We'll find a way, I know it. But even if something does happen to me, I don't want you to give up. You take the dragons and leave as soon as you can, okay?"

"Just...just make sure nothing happens," she sniffled into his shirt.

"This conversation sounds oddly familiar," he said drily.

"Yeah...look what happened then," she sighed.

"Hey...it worked out in the end, didn't it?" he asked, giving her a slight nudge.

"Doing it the hard way," she reminded him.

He chuckled, pulling her tighter against him and planting a light kiss on the top of her head.

"We'll make it Astrid," he promised firmly.

-oOo-

The next day, Hiccup and Astrid were waiting at the cage door for Trygve to appear as usual. They needed to act fast if they wanted their plan to work. The hardest part belonged to the young lad. He had told them there were only three men with keys to the cages, and they worked in shifts to oversee the dragons. The shifts changed over shortly after he fed the dragons, so he had to make sure that he only took the key from the third man, the one who wasn't on shift or about to be on shift.

The door opened. Trygve entered, but he wasn't on his own. He wore a barely hidden expression of irritation as one of the hunter's came in with him. Trygve dragged the heavy basket, no help being offered by the burly man. The lad stopped and waited, glancing quickly over to the young couple before looking away. They stepped back, half hidden in the shadows.

"Well boy, what are you waiting for?" the man named Ulf said loudly. "Feed them."

"Yes sir," Trygve replied smartly, beginning his routine of throwing fish into the cages. But something felt off straight away. Ulf was observing him very closely, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You don't seem worried about those bloodthirsty beasts, boy," he stated, making Trygve jump as he realised his error. The hunters had only ever seen him act terrified when feeding the dragons, but now since he had been shown the truth, he was much more confident because he knew there was no reason to be afraid. Especially as the first dragon to be fed was also the Snafflefang he had bonded with, and who now looked at him with adoration in his eyes, not fear or mistrust.

Hiccup and Astrid groaned inwardly. They should have thought about that.

"Maybe it was a mistake allowing you to feed the savage beasts on your own." Ulf's glance took in the two prisoners in the cell opposite. "You been talking to the traitors have you? Been getting ideas that dragons are harmless?"

"N-n-n-no," stuttered Trygve. "I-I-I remembered what you said. That dragons are d-d-dangerous and that D-d-drago wants to help people and t-t-take all the dragons away."

Hiccup and Astrid were shocked at this information. Drago? Who was Drago? And where was he taking the dragons? They didn't have time to process this information, as Trygve continued to speak.

"I-I-I want to be like you guys...you know...b-b-brave and f-f-fearless. A-a-and they can't get me...they're l-l-locked up," he tried to reason with the hunter, visibly shaking.

It must have worked, as the burly man roared with laughter at the comments. "You? Like us? That's a laugh," he taunted cruelly. "A weed of a boy like you? You can't even lift a basket of fish!" He laughed again at the thought, while the lad cringed at the insults. Trygve's gaze flicked towards Hiccup, who gave him a sympathetic look.

"Tell you what," said the hunter to Trygve. "Let's help you build up some muscle. We'll be docking in a few days and the Captain wants the beasts to look half way decent for the boss. You can feed them twice a day. By the time we reach town you may even have a little bump to call muscle on your arms." He guffawed again at his own joke, preparing to head out.

Trygve quickly asked before the man left. "What about the traitors, sir? Do they get fed twice too?"

Ulf turned his beady eyes on the two emaciated people huddled together at the back of their cage. He waved his hand dismissively, "Them too. They'll be sold as well. Won't fetch much money if they look too weak." He turned to leave.

Hiccup felt a cough coming on, and he tried to suppress it. But a muffled noise still came forth.

The hunter stopped in his tracks. "Was that a cough?" he asked suspiciously, staring straight at Hiccup. "He's no good to us if he's sick. It will easier to throw him to the Scauldron's."

Astrid gasped, and tugged Hiccup tighter to her, glaring ferociously at the hunter. He taunted them with his spiteful laugh, but Trygve scuffed his shoe against the floorboards.

"No sir, that was only me kicking my feet," he lied.

The hunter stared at Hiccup's rigid form a little longer before turning back to the boy. "Hmmm...well, don't just stand there! Feed those animals!" he shouted.

Trygve scrambled to attention, "Yes sir! Dragons being fed now, sir!"

Ulf smirked. "That's more like it," before he finally left.

Everyone sagged in relief. "Phew! That was too close," said Astrid, hugging Hiccup hard before letting him go.

Trygve unlocked their cell and Hiccup quickly took charge.

"Right... Trygve, you block the door then feed the dragons...except for the ones we work with. Astrid, you take the Hobblegrunt...I'll take the juvenile Nightmare," he said firmly. They all rushed to their assigned places, although Hiccup took a moment to give an apologetic scratch to his dragon.

"Sorry Toothless...next time," he murmured.

Trygve had unlocked the two cages Hiccup wanted to work with, handing him and Astrid a fish each, then rolled a barrel of water till it overlapped the door just enough to stop it from opening. From there, he had to keep up with his usual routine of feeding the dragons, as that was all the time they would get. It was always going to be a slow process... till they unexpectedly got a boost. The hunter that had allocated Trygve double time with the dragons, had also given them double the chance to train. The dragons were also getting double rations of fish, and while still not enough, it would make them a little easier to handle.

Hiccup planned to train certain dragons first. He had special reasons for this order. He wanted the Monstrous Nightmare first. Then he was going to train the Zippleback. In the meantime Astrid would train some of the bigger and more likely-to-be-loyal dragons. After that, Hiccup intended to help Trygve train his Snafflefang while Astrid took over feeding duties. From there, they would keep going until they were forced to stop.

By the end of the few minutes it took for Trygve to complete his rounds, Hiccup had managed to persuade the starving Nightmare that becoming friends with him was preferable than the painful ending that was certainly promised with the hunters. Astrid was locking the Hobblegrunt back into its cage ready to head back to her own. But Hiccup was still hidden on the other side of the young Nightmare.

"Hiccup," warned Astrid lowly.

"Just a moment more," he replied.

A loud rattle could be heard from down the gangway as Trygve's trap was set off.

"They're coming!" the boy cried in a strained whisper, his voice rising fearfully. Trygve stood beside the gate of the Nightmare's cage, the key in the lock ready to turn as soon as Hiccup stepped out.

"Just a second," begged Hiccup, still hidden.

The door at the end of the room opened enough to hit against the barrel with a heart-stopping bang.

"Hiccup!" hissed Astrid, waiting for him in their cage.

"Lock it," Hiccup said tersely, sprinting from the Nightmare's cage to his own.

Trygve had that door locked tight, and had reached the last remaining open door almost before Hiccup.

"TRYGVE!" yelled a voice behind the door. "What are you doing in there?"

"Coming!" the boy yelled back. "The barrel moved over, and I can't shift it back." He waved furiously at Hiccup to get in. Hiccup slipped in through the gap, Astrid and Trygve closing the cage door behind him as quickly and quietly as possible.

The hunter banged the heavy wooden door against the water barrel, making it shift. Trygve froze, his eyes on the opening door, the key still poised at the entrance to the lock.

" _Trygve_!" urged Astrid.

The hunter shoved the door once more, opening it right up and allowing himself entry. He burst into the room, his eyes dangerously narrowed, his frown meaning business.

"S-s-sorry," stuttered Trygve in fright, standing in the middle of the room with the empty basket in his hand. "The b-b-barrel moved when the sh-sh-ship rolled, and I c-c-couldn't get it back."

Ulf snarled and pushed himself right into the young lad's face. "You better not be pulling any stunts," he threatened, spit spraying all the boy's face.

Trygve shook his head energetically. "N-n-no sir!" he told him vigorously. He practically held his breath as he waited for the man to believe him. He got a smart clip across the face instead, sending him crashing to the ground.

Hiccup and Astrid gasped and ran to the cage bars, hoping he was okay. But the Snafflefang close beside Ulf and Trygve, threw himself at the cage bars with a loud growl, gnashing his teeth at the hunter. Toothless and Stormfly were also growling lowly, along with the Nightmare and the Hobblegrunt. The hunter's shrewd eyes searched over the protective animals, then back at the young couple and finally the boy on the floor.

He spat at Trygve. "You're only here to feed the dragons. Stay away from them." The boy rolled himself over to sit up on the floor, holding his bruised cheek and nodding dumbly.

The hunter sauntered deliberately over to the caged young couple. They held their ground, refusing to back up, each with a mutinous glare in their eyes.

The man stopped right in front of them and gave a menacing leer. Pointing towards the dragons with a sweeping motion of his hand, he told them, "See these dragons? They all belong to Drago." His moving hand stopped on the cages of Toothless and Stormfly. " _All_ of them," he reinforced with an evil glint in his eye.

"Don't be so sure of that," responded Hiccup lowly, his eyes glittering with suppressed rage.

The man sneered. "The dragon lover thinks he can outsmart Drago? Ha! _No_ one can defeat Drago...especially when they're to be sold as slaves," he grinned in twisted delight, taking too much pleasure from the pain of others.

He started to walk away, but decided on one last jibe. Pointing to their cage, he warned them, "Take a good look at your last chance of freedom. Once you're sold, you will be begging to come back here."

"Only to teach you a lesson," Hiccup promised, stepping forward grimly. Astrid stepped with him, the glare on her face enough to make any man think twice.

The man merely sneered, grabbing Trygve and pushing the lad in front of him through the door.

The door closed and Astrid clenched her hands over the bars of the cage. She gave off a primal scream to vent her rage and frustration.

"Hiccup, you _have_ to get us out of here...only so I can come back and wipe that grin off his face with my axe," she declared savagely.

Hiccup stared at the closed door with hooded eyes. "It would be my pleasure, Astrid."


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone on the ship was keyed up, and the change in atmosphere could even be felt down in the dragon cages. They were about to dock at Gunnart, a trading town where it was possible to buy and sell almost anything…including human slaves. The ship they were on, was a dedicated dragon trapping ship. But if other opportunities came up, they weren't about to let it slide past. So even though their dragons already had a destination planned for them, they still had two humans to sell. Dragon lovers at that. On top of that, they had a Night Fury…and a lot of people would pay plenty to see it. Their money coffers were about to swell.

Hiccup and Astrid had been able to train most of the dragons. There were a few wild cards that had been too badly abused to accept training in the tiny amount of time available to them. And despite the double up of the feeding schedule, it hadn't been easy for Trygve to come in alone. Or to get hold of the key. Hiccup and Astrid could only hope they had done enough.

Astrid had grown increasingly concerned for Hiccup. His health had started to slide even further, and his cough had become harder to mask from the ship's crew. At night, he lay shivering on the floor sick with fever but all she could do was try to cool him down by waving his shirt over him like a fan. It wasn't enough. Astrid only hoped they could find help once they had escaped…if they escaped.

The noise levels outside on the deck rose as the crew approached the docks of Gunnart in the cool of early evening. All hands were needed to bring the ship in safely, including Trygve. Hiccup and Astrid waited impatiently, pacing restlessly in their cages along with all the dragons.

From what the lad had told them, after the boat docked, most of the crew would disembark, eager to head into town and quench their dry throats. Only a handful of guards would be left on the boat. The Captain would spend the evening purchasing supplies, ready for loading early the next morning. Normally the ship would leave again by that afternoon, but this time they intended to stay for an extra day.

The reason for that, was them. The Captain and his crew wanted to showcase the Night Fury to earn a little extra cash…and to find buyers for their two slaves.

"I'm flattered," Hiccup had said at the news, in a droll tone.

Astrid had taken it one step further, smashing her fist into her palm. "Let's thank them for their thoughtfulness," she had growled fiercely.

The ship shuddered, as it came to a halt. Shouts could be heard, as ropes were thrown to secure it against the dock. The scrapping sound, then a slam came through as the ramp was lowered to allow access to the ship. Numerous footsteps were heard pounding over the timber deck.

All this noise only stirred to agitate the dragons still further, and heighten the surge of adrenaline in their fellow human captives. Trygve had already given them the key, as it was unlikely to be noticed missing at this point, and it allowed them to still escape if something went wrong. Although both of them were hoping fervently that wouldn't be the case.

Hiccup turned to Astrid, taking a hold of her hand. "Are you ready for this?" he asked quietly. He eyed off her pale face, colored only by the dark shadows under her eyes and the hollows of her sunken cheeks. She looked exhausted and way too thin, her clothes hanging loosely off her shoulders. She had no armour, and without it she looked fragile and vulnerable. His heart felt heavy at the site of his beautiful warrior reduced to such a pitiful state. Even her blonde hair had lost its shine. After that first night on the island so long ago, he had continued to braid her hair for her whenever he could. It had become a soothing and comforting experience for both of them. Even after her arm had healed, he had kept up the practice.

She smiled tiredly and squeezed his fingers. "As ready as I'm going to be." She noted his dubious expression. "Hey, don't give me that look," she told him lightly. "You're no better off than I am," she reminded him.

He gave a wry grin. She was right. He looked no better than her, possibly even worse seeing as he was also suffering from some kind of illness.

"I thought we'd already established that I have to do things the hard way," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Great...you've jinxed us now," she complained drily. He gave a raspy laugh before breaking into a fit of coughing. She smacked him on the back.

"Thanks," he told her hoarsely.

Hiccup waited a moment to catch his breath. "You know, I meant what I said earlier," he told her solemnly.

"What?" she asked, a little confused.

He faced her with a serious expression. "If something goes wrong...make sure you take the dragons and leave."

She was shocked. "Hiccup, no...I,"

He interrupted her. "Astrid, please," he begged. "I couldn't take it if anything happened to you. Just...just please promise me. I can't live without you."

Astrid threw herself into his arms, and he didn't hesitate to hold her tight. She reached up to kiss him fiercely, feeling him return it passionately.

Releasing his lips, she reached up to gently push back his over-long hair from his face. "I'm looking forward to doing that in much better surroundings," she told him with a soft sigh.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes gazing at her with complete adoration. "What? You don't go for the filthy, rat infested, zero comfort dragon cell? I thought you loved it so much, I was going to recreate it once we get home," he told her drily.

She rolled her eyes, and smacked his shoulder. "You do, and I'll be locking you in it and throwing away the key."

He chuckled, tucking her under his chin, and curling his arms around her tightly. "Only if you are in there with me."

She sighed, relaxing into his warmth. "Didn't you tell me we'd treat this like a holiday?"

He joked, "And haven't I provided?"

She smacked his chest. "No!"

He kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "When we get home, I'll take you on a proper holiday. We'll go stay down at the Cove, just you and me, Toothless and Stormfly. We'll swim in the water during the day, and cuddle up in front of a huge fire at night. We'll sleep in a comfy tent, and stuff ourselves silly with tons of good food," he told her.

Astrid sighed wistfully. "You sure know how to get a girl's hopes up."

He chuckled. "It'll happen." His voice was full of confidence, and Astrid had no qualms in believing him...it was just the timing that was under question.

Hiccup lifted her chin for another kiss, taking this last opportunity to show affection...just in case.  
The door at the end of the room opened quietly, a small shape slipping in.

"Ewww...that's yucky!"

The two pulled apart, big smiles on their faces. Hiccup chuckled. "One day, you'll understand the attraction."

Trygve pulled a face, sticking out his tongue in disgust. "Never!"

Hiccup unlocked the cage and stepped out, Astrid close behind. She tipped the young boy under his chin.

"A year or two from now, some young girl is going to come along and make you forget you ever said that," she teased him lightly.

Trygve blushed, but shook his head. Hiccup relieved the boy of his burdens, several weapons he had managed to find, including a nice axe. Hiccup held it out for Astrid.

"For you, m'lady."

"Why thank you, babe."

She swung it to get the feel for it. "Not bad. It'll do."

Hiccup went straight to Toothless, unlocking the door and opening it.

"Finally bud, it's time to leave."

Toothless walked out, nudging against his boy in obvious delight. "Yeah, I know. I'm glad to have you out too."

Hiccup unlocked the gates on all the trusted dragons, leaving the untrained ones for now. They would be released at the last moment, when they could do the least amount of damage if they panicked.

Astrid went straight to Stormfly. "Hey girl…miss me?" she asked quietly, giving the Nadder a big hug. Hiccup walked in behind her to check on the broken wing. It was still secured, and he cut the ropes to release the splint. Testing the wing Hiccup decided it didn't need the splint anymore.

"She's not ready to fly yet, but the bone seems to be knitting well," he reassured Astrid.

She sighed in relief. "Good. You hear that girl? You're wing is mending well. Still not ready to fly, but that will happen soon. We've only got to get away from here and go somewhere safe till you are ready. Okay?"

Stormfly trilled in answer, pumping her wings a little to test them.

Hiccup was all business again. "Right. Everyone know the plan?" he asked the others.

Trygve nodded. "We wait long enough for all the disembarked sailors to have settled into the drinking houses. I go up and offer some ale to the sailors still guarding the ship. Once they have relaxed, Astrid and I go up and lead Stormfly and Toothless to the deck, take out the guards and you follow with the rest of the dragons."

Hiccup nodded. "Correct. The aim is to move all the dragons quietly off the boat and out of town as quickly as possible. Trygve, have you marked the way out for us?" he asked.

In response, the lad gave Hiccup a handwritten map, showing the direction that would get them into the surrounding forest along the most inconspicuous path. Not that eleven dragons were inconspicuous. He had to assume that none of them were able to fly after the time they had spent locked up. He did expect that some would still try, and in doing so, would bring a lot of unwanted attention on their heads. It was going to be messy, that would be the only guarantee.

"Thanks for that. You've been a wonderful help, Trygve. We couldn't have done it without you," said Hiccup sincerely, giving the boy a quick hug. Trygve blushed slightly but grinned happily anyway.

"Do you have a weapon?" Hiccup asked him.

The lad nodded, and pulled a small knife from his pocket. Hiccup would have felt better if the boy had a larger weapon, but also realised that the lad wouldn't be able to handle anything bigger.

"Good. Okay, you and Astrid do a quick scout around the ship. I'll try to finish training the last dragons," said Hiccup briskly.

The other two nodded, leaving him in a closed room.

Hiccup stopped to look at the remaining dragons still behind locked doors. "Well guys…and girl. Just you lot and me this time."

He stepped forward.

-oOo-

Almost an hour later, the trio were ready. Trygve had already been up and delivered a few tankards of ale to the remaining three men on deck. Last report was they were relaxed and giggling like girls. So they were good to go. Hiccup had to assume the sailors on dry land would be about the same state if not worse.

It was time.

"Okay, you two first," said Hiccup quietly, indicating towards the door. He pulled Astrid back before she could leave.

"Take care out there," he told her lowly.

She smiled tightly. "You too."

The shield maiden and the young lad left through the door, flanked by Toothless and Stormfly. Toothless had a grudge to take care of, so he was all business as he paused to glance briefly back at Hiccup.

"Go bud. We'll be right behind you," Hiccup said quietly.

The four strong scouting part left.

Hiccup took a deep breath, turning towards Snapper, the Snafflefang Trygve had befriended.

"Come on Snapper, I need you to lead the way. Go find Toothless and Stormfly," he urged.

Snapper went through the door, followed closely by the other dragons in the order that Hiccup felt the most comfortable with. He was taking up the rear with the least reliable dragons, and needed his most loyal ones up front, where they would be unsupervised.

He heard a few muffled thumps coming from the floors over his head.

"It's started," he murmured, feeling his heart beat hotly with adrenaline.

He encouraged the last three stragglers to follow the rest, which they did. They were jittery and Hiccup hoped they would behave.

That hope soon died.

By the time he had made it to the deck, the three guards had already been taken care of, and the two leading dragons were down the ramp and on the dock with Astrid and Trygve. He could see Astrid was doing her best to pick the darkest night shadows to slide through. Once the other dragons started arriving on the dock, she pushed the lad ahead to guide them out of town on the path he had given them. He kept moving and Astrid did her best to keep the dragons in the middle of the line calm and focused. Everything was progressing smoothly.

Until Hiccup and the last three dragons made it to the ramp.

Two sailors had staggered unseen to the dock, and had watched with bleary eyes the dragons dancing before them. Suspecting they'd had too much to drink, they hadn't said anything. Till one realised the dragons looked exactly like the dragons on their ship.

"Shhh…." he said to his inebriated friend. "Don't shay anythink, but that'sh our dragons leaving."

"Why they leaving?" his friend asked, his alcohol fueled breath wafting over the other.

The first sailor paused to think. "I don't know. Wanna ask?" he suggested.

The second shrugged. "Sure. HEY DRAGONS! WHY YOU LEAVING?" he yelled in the first sailor's ear.

The loud booming voice immediately grabbed the attention of everyone in the area, and more than the dragon riders turned towards the commotion.

"Oh no," groaned Hiccup. He could see Astrid coming back towards him.

"NO…keep going," he yelled at her, waving her forward.

She gave a quick wave in recognition, then urged the dragons to move faster. They followed the now out-of-sight Trygve and the two lead dragons down the darkened street.

The last three dragons with Hiccup became highly agitated, and nervously pranced around the ramp.

"Come on now. It's okay," he tried to soothe.

Their agitation increased when they found the ramp was a tight fit and they didn't want to walk on it. Men with torches in their hands were beginning to rush towards the scene. The dragons started screeching, bringing even more attention to them. They agitatedly flapped, knocking over a barrel with a loud bang. The noise it made frightened the dragons further and they blasted it, setting it on fire.

"Just great," muttered Hiccup to himself, attempting to pull the first dragon down the ramp. But sailors and townspeople were rushing towards them, the noise of so many people yelling towards them disturbing the dragons more. They started firing flames at all they could find, setting the ship on fire.

"Well, there goes stealthy," he droned sarcastically while the flames grew higher and higher, making the ship a beacon in the night. He started to cough.

Astrid was racing back towards him, her axe swinging at any who got too close.

"HICCUP!" she yelled. "RUN!"

Hiccup tugged harder on the dragon who belatedly got the idea he should follow the others, tearing off after them, leaving Hiccup to stumble over and fall to the ground. A sailor jumped him straight away, pinning him down. That didn't last long as the last two dragons practically trampled the man when they used him as a launching point to escape.

Hiccup managed to stand up just as Astrid reached him. She grabbed his arm.

"I think they noticed. Let's go," she said roughly.

Hiccup stumbled as they ran after the last of the dragons, all disappearing rapidly into the outskirts of town. The only problem was, Hiccup and Astrid were falling far behind. Their weakened bodies were choosing now to let them down and they were soon surrounded. Astrid swung her axe, reminding the men facing them off with fire in her eyes not to get too close.

Hiccup pulled out Inferno, triggering off the fiery blade. The men in front of him promptly stood back in awe of the instant flames in the hand of the slimly built prisoner. He'd managed to keep it with him the entire time they had been imprisoned, none of their captors realizing what the bladeless handle could do. Tonight, he was about to show them.

Back to back, Hiccup and Astrid turned, both expertly swinging their weapons. They kept an eye out for the path the dragons and Trygve had taken and inched towards it. Astrid's axe bit into the shoulder of one, who dropped back with a pained cry. Hiccup swung Inferno, causing three others to jump back from the heat. More weapons appeared in the hands of their foes, Hiccup and Astrid swinging fiercely to fight their way out, the sound of metal on metal clashing loud in the night.

They kept this up for several minutes, slashing, parrying, blocking. Slowly, they inched towards their escape route. It wasn't that far away, but it might as well been across the ocean. As they fought, they could feel their energy waning and the battling duo knew they weren't going to make it. But they didn't stop trying.

First, the flames on Inferno died down. Hiccup kept striking out regardless, cutting deep wherever he could. Then Astrid made a swing, and completely missed her mark. The pull of the axe made her stumble, and it was only by Hiccup's hand on her waist, that she remained upright.

The two stood panting, sweat pouring down their faces, each waiting for the final stroke.

A tremendous roar made Hiccup and Astrid's hearts drop. Toothless.

Neither could help it. They searched the shadows for the source of the noise, as did the fighters who opposed them. Hiccup could see some of the hunters race for nets, ropes, anything to hold down a Night Fury. The Night Fury that had already gained legendary status in the drinking halls of Gunnart.

Hiccup froze as Toothless emerged from the shadows, scattering men as he went. Stormfly was right behind him, shooting a powerful blast towards the crowd. But many of the men there were seasoned dragon hunters, used to being in these situations and they refused to back down. In fact, they started racing _towards_ the dragons.

Hiccup and Astrid tried to run towards their draconic friends, but were stopped short when muscular arms grabbed them both.

Hiccup tried to free himself with his blade, but it was yanked from his hand and thrown away. Astrid's axe was taken easily from hers. A familiar voice oozed into Hiccup's ear, causing his insides to twist in horror.

Ulf held him with a strong grip. "Did you think you could get away?" Ulf said harshly. "Your girlfriend and your dragons are mine. And we're not going to be so nice this time," he snarled viciously, a blade held tightly to his throat, and a hairy arm pinning his arms to his sides. Hiccup struggled, but the knife bit deeper against his skin.

"Stormfly! NO!" choked out Astrid, struggling against a sneering Jarek. She could see the hunters ready to throw a bolo at her beloved Nadder.

"TOOTHLESS! RUN!" shouted Hiccup desperately. "GO! LOOK AFTER THE OTHERS!"

Toothless and Stormfly paused and hesitated. They swiveled their heads to see the hunters circling around them, with their riders being held by force.

"WE'LL FIND YOU LATER," promised Hiccup with a yell. "GO! BUD, NOW!"

"STORMFLY…LEAVE GIRL," screamed Astrid.

If the dragons had been able to fly, and Hiccup and Astrid not been so weakened, it would have been a different story. But now they were being overwhelmed. The young couple knew if their dragons were captured again, it would be the end for all of them. The dragons loyalty had been proven time and time again, but Hiccup needed Toothless to protect and care for the other recently released dragons. He only hoped that Toothless would see that and go. He and Astrid would have to find another way out of trouble.

Fortunately, Toothless seemed to agree, and with a last despairing glance at his rider, he and Stormfly turned and ran back into the shadows. Although a few plasma blasts and magnesium fire shots toppled a few more hunters first, causing them to scream in agony. Hiccup's focused attention on his dragon, also noticed that Toothless had briefly paused to collect something from the ground before he ran.

"ARRGHH!"

Frustration coursed through Ulf as he screamed in Hiccup's ear, causing him momentary deafness. The blade dug into his skin, and Hiccup felt for sure the big Norseman was intending to kill him. Till the third hunter named Miguel appeared. In his Spanish accent, he stopped Ulf from his rash action.

"Stop Ulf! Sell them instead and make their lives a misery for what they did," he suggested to the volatile Viking. "As for the dragons…we will catch them back. No dragon can escape us. Then think what Drago will say to find a Night Fury in his army."

Ulf seemed to consider this, and the more he thought about it, the more he obviously liked it. A malevolent grin slowly broke out across his ugly face, and a spiteful laugh found its way forth from his throat.

"You fools!" he hissed at their captives. "See what you have done? You've made things worse for everybody…now we will trap your dragons, and you will never see them again."

The distressed eyes of Hiccup and Astrid found each other. They could only hope their dragons had gotten away.

Ulf and Jarek began to haul the pair away, when Hiccup noticed Miguel suddenly race away. Any question as to where he had gone were soon answered when he saw him return with the scared young Trygve in his arms.

"Looky here!" he said happily to his fellow hunters. "I found a traitor! Everyone knows what we do to traitors," he continued.

"NOO," yelled Hiccup fearfully, struggling harder to escape. Ulf only squeezed him tighter, Hiccup's vision fading except for the stars dancing around his eyes as oxygen depletion set in. All he could hear was Astrid calling his name, and Trygve's terrified sobs. Then his world turned black.

-oOo-

Hiccup groaned, holding his aching head and rolled over. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked. It was dark. A gentle hand smoothed his feverish brow.

"Hiccup? Are you okay?" came a very welcome feminine voice.

Sitting up slowly, he felt for Astrid beside him. "Had better days. What about you?" he asked.

"I'm okay," she replied in a voice thick with worry and exhaustion.

"What happened? " he asked, shaking the fogginess from his head.

"They got us," she told him flatly. "But the dragons escaped."

Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness for that. What about Trygve?"

She turned her face away from him and gave a slight shake. "They took him away. I don't know what happened to him," she said quietly.

Hiccup hung his head, his heart sinking low as worry and guilt flooded through him. "I'm sorry, Trygve," he whispered. "We should never have involved him," he cried out in agony.

Astrid said nothing, only turning to bury herself in his chest, her sobs flowing freely for the young boy who had so bravely stood up to his biggest tormentors for them...and now was paying the price. Hiccup's own eyes were wet as he hung tightly to the blonde woman in his arms. At least they still had each other. Trygve had no one.

-oOo-

The next morning came all too soon for the exhausted couple. They had barely slept out of worry for their young friend and the dragons. They were being held in the towns jail on the fringes of the town and could hear the intense activity outside where hunters were actively hunting the freed dragons. Although from the snatches of conversation that drifted in through the small barred window, it sounded as if none had been re-caught yet. A small victory for Hiccup and Astrid to celebrate.

The sun was already high in the sky when their cage door was yanked open by a snarling Ulf.

"Get up! The dragons are gone, and you will pay the price, you traitorous dragon lovers." His voice was filled with violence and hate.

Hiccup glanced over to Astrid as they obediently stood up, seeing the angry scowl she returned to the hunter.

Astrid clenched her fists. "You got something to say?" she hissed.

Hiccup stared at her in alarm, but braced himself anyway. She was closest to Ulf and the first to take advantage of it, stepping forward to swiftly kick the thickset man in his most vulnerable parts. He reacted with a surprised groan, dropping to his knees.

The shield maiden grabbed Hiccup's wrist, tugging him behind her to race out of the small room and into the sunshine. They made about four steps before slamming into the waiting crowd.

"Arghh!" Astrid screamed in frustration, her arms being forcefully wrenched behind her. Hiccup said nothing, his fierce glower conveying his feelings about being captured once again. Jarek was there, grinning maliciously as he tied Hiccup's hands together. "Who's hero now?" he sneered in his heavy accent.

Hiccup could see the people surrounding them were mostly from the ship. But there were others he did not recognize.

One of them, he was about to become overly familiar with.

"Overbite...come get him," shouted Jarek.

Hiccup briefly wondered who Overbite was...till he saw a man the size of a small mountain push through the small group. He had thick black, greasy hair with a matching set of heavy brows. But all that hair did little to disguise the large yellowed teeth protruding over his hairless chin.

"Woah," was Hiccup's involuntary response, his brows shooting upwards in astonishment.

The man scowled so heavily, Hiccup almost lost sight of the man's eyes. Not that it mattered much...he couldn't stop staring at those teeth. He'd never seen anything like it before.

"Your new master," sneered Jarek, with a twisted curl of his lip.

This news was enough to convince Hiccup to refocus on the rest of this man. He quickly took in the leather apron and the distinctive smell of molten metal and smoke. He also saw by the beefy arms and the unpleasant grin this was not going to be an easy task. Jarek pushed Hiccup forward into the man's very strong grip. Hiccup struggled but quickly stopped. It was apparent he wasn't going anywhere.

"Squinty!" roared Ulf, having recovered enough from his delicate injury to limp forward, roughly taking hold of Astrid's arm. She glared at him, having not gained any warm and fuzzy fondness for him in the short time he had been absent.

A hefty blonde woman stepped forward, ready to claim her prize. Her long locks were coiled up on her head in a tight, braided bun. She may have been considered beautiful in her younger years but the cross-eyed stare she was offering to Astrid...and possibly Hiccup as well...combined with the pursed lips took all those honors away from her.

"She's yours," said Ulf with a grin. "Make sure you break her," he ordered with a grimace, still bent over slightly from Astrid's attack.

The young couple had tried to stay close, but now helplessly stared at each other as they were being ruthlessly pulled apart.

"Hiccup!" Astrid cried, worried about losing him, seeing clearly how exhausted and thin he appeared. How were the two going to survive being apart? Her feet stumbled as the very strong Squinty pulled her away to her new prison.

"Astrid...I will come for you," Hiccup declared fiercely, meaning every word of it as the brutally strong Overbite dragged him towards locations unknown in the totally opposite direction. He despaired at seeing his beautiful Astrid ever again, but refused to give up hope. They still had their loyal dragons out there somewhere, hopefully healing from the ordeal on the ship along with the other dragons. Hiccup had to keep going, he had to find Toothless and Stormfly again. He would find Astrid. And they would get home.

He had promised her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to all those reading this story. I hope you're enjoying it!**

* * *

Three days later, Hiccup was struggling. As he had quickly guessed at the start, Overbite was a blacksmith. And a very busy one if the piles of broken and bent weapons were any indication. Hiccup had been kept on the run helping the man, scampering within the hot forge as far as the chain around his ankle would let him. Keeping the fire lit at the right temperature, bringing him iron scraps, removing the finished products...although the blacksmith had wisely kept the sharp and pointy ones away from him. Hiccup had already made several attempts to escape.

Hiccup hadn't seen either Astrid or Trygve in the last three days, and that worried him no end. He also hadn't seen any of the dragons, which he drew a small measure of comfort from. Although he had felt watched occasionally. His cough had actually eased, the heat of the forge and the constant exercise...although exhausting after so many weeks of inactivity...seemed to have brought the fever to its head and he felt as if he was now recovering. Overbite was a tough taskmaster, but Hiccup was being fed much better than on the ship. That much at least, he was grateful for. The nights he had fallen asleep completely exhausted on the straw covered floor. He hoped that he would soon regain his health and vigor, enough to plot his escape once more.

Even in the three days Hiccup had been here, he hadn't given up. His quick fingers would deftly find small pieces of metal and leather scraps that would then disappear. Today he had a goal. He needed a fine, sharp piece of metal, and he had found one...right in front of Overbite. Now all he needed was a way to get it.

Despite his exhaustion, Hiccup was forced to keep working.

"Bring that scrap here," ordered the beefy smith, pointing at a pile of smaller pieces.

Hiccup sighed but obediently turned to gather it up, making sure he overloaded his arms. Staggering towards his master, Hiccup stumbled under the awkward load, lurching forward. The metal spilled out over the bench in front of Overbite, and on the ground.

"Oops, sorry," muttered Hiccup, already collecting the pieces from the bench.

"Watch what you're doing, you clumsy boy," shouted Overbite, stepping back from the mess. "Clean it up," he added.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the man for ordering him to do what he was clearly already doing, but said nothing. He kept on working.

The forge was situated on the side of the market place. From there it was possible to see most of what was happening in the daily hustle and bustle of town life. Hiccup was mostly confined to the back of the shop, but he was still able to see a fair amount of what was going on.

Just as he was finishing tidying up, he heard a commotion in the market. Looking over he could see several young men bunched around in a circle. He could hear them yelling, and he stared at the group wondering what was happening. It sounded like the men were harassing someone. His brows furrowed in anger. Hiccup hated bullies, knowing full well what it felt like being on the wrong end of it. He stared over at the group, hoping someone would step in to save the person in the middle. But nobody did.

He walked forward, but the 'clank' of the chain around his ankle instantly reminded him of his own predicament. The yelling continued and he heard a definite feminine voice in the middle. His heart beat anxiously for the girl. The crowd shifted and he could see the blonde hair of their victim.

Astrid!

Hiccup instantly felt an iron band squeezing the insides of his chest. He yanked urgently on the chain around his ankle, gaining the attention of Overbite.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" he yelled.

Hiccup desperately turned towards the larger man. "Astrid! They're hurting her! Let me go help her and then I will come straight back," he begged.

The blacksmith laughed. "Let her owner worry about her. I'm not letting you go out there, so you can escape. How dumb do you think I am?" he said callously.

Hiccup pleaded urgently, "Let me see her and make sure she's okay. Then I'll come straight back and work twice as hard for you. I'm a blacksmith too. I can help you." He kept glancing over at Astrid who was still fighting off her tormentors, anxiety written all over his features. "Please...just let me help her."

The large man stood thoughtful at the news his slave was a blacksmith. He had already noticed the young man seemed familiar with the workings of a forge. His mind was thinking how he could best make use of his slave's abilities. He was not thinking of the girl.

Hiccup shuffled, the chains clinking in his agitation, waiting for an answer. He glanced over at Astrid again. She hadn't seen him, but she was holding her own against the bullies. She'd even managed to cause an injury to one, to the amusement of the observers.

Overbite was still staring at him shrewdly, but hadn't answered his pleas. Hiccup was about to give up all pretense and break out of his chains, when he heard a loud, shrill voice. A large woman came bearing down on the young men, scattering them like flies, away from Astrid. Hiccup breathed a quiet sigh of relief, seeing that Astrid had been rescued, and an even bigger sigh of relief at knowing she was okay. Squinty was more worried over her sullied washing that Astrid had been holding at the time, than her young slave. But it didn't matter. Astrid was alive and safe. Squinty soon pulled Astrid away, and Hiccup couldn't see her any longer, but that was fine too. She was here in this town, and he was going to find her.

Although right now, Hiccup had another problem.

"Make me a sword...a good one," demanded Overbite.

Hiccup frowned. It sounded like he was about to enter a whole other area of employ. Not that he minded. It might actually mean an easier time for him. Plus it suited his purpose much more conveniently.

He didn't mess about...grabbing some broken weapons, he set to work melting them down. From there it would be a lengthy process to form the hot metal out, shape it, decorate it in his signature style. He always added a small flare at the top of the blade, right before it attached to the hilt. Then he formed a series of fine grooves in the handle of the blade for grip. Although this too had his own unique brand of carving, his name craftily hidden within the grooves. Finally, he had the almost finished product in his hands. Only the final sharpening and polishing was left. The chain around his ankle prevented him from reaching the grinder.

Hiccup gestured to the equipment, and then to the almost completed sword. "May I?" he asked politely.

Overbite pulled out his trusty axe, swinging it expertly in a circle. "No funny business."

Unlocking the chain, Overbite stood back and waited, but Hiccup did nothing more than head straight to the grinder, setting in to finish working on the sword.

Finally, it was completed and he placed it carefully on the bench and stood back. "Done," he said flatly.

While the sword was not one of his best efforts, it wasn't a bad one either. He knew Gobber would grade it with a grudging 'okay' but he wasn't sure what this man would do. From what he'd seen of Overbite's work, the sword was already on par if not better than the big man's efforts.

The blacksmith inspected the sword with a keen eye, saying nothing except to grunt, not willing to acknowledge the work was better than his own. He merely hung it up out the front of the forge to sell it, then pointed to the waiting pile of broken weapons. Gunnart was overly-represented when it came to violent men with broken weapons. "Start on them," he demanded.

Hiccup pointed to the chain still laying on the floor. "Only if that stays off. I can't work if I'm tied down," he countered, facing the man with a determined glare.

Overbite hesitated, glancing between Hiccup, the chain, and the sword hanging out the front which was already garnering interest from customers.

Hiccup pushed, "I'll make your weapons...but only if you leave the chain off."

Overbite relented, his eyes full of gold coins. "Fine...but if you try to run away, the chain goes back on." he threatened.

"I won't go anywhere," Hiccup promised. "Not yet, at least," he muttered quietly to himself, turning to start work in his new role.

By the end of the day, a gleaming pile of repaired, sharpened and polished weapons sat waiting for collection by their owners, and Overbite was grinning from ear to ear with his good fortune. The new sword had already been sold to a sailor for a handsome number of gold coins. And customers were clamoring for more of the same.

"Tomorrow boy," said Overbite as they both tidied up their work areas. "You will be making more new swords and axes."

Hiccup nodded wearily, his arms and shoulders already sore from the extra work. It would take a few more days before his body settled into the old familiar routine of blacksmithing. He was looking forward to it, the comforting stretch and pull of his muscles letting him know he was getting stronger. The extra food the blacksmith fed him, was also helping him to regain the energy and lost weight from almost four weeks locked in the ship's hull. He hoped Astrid was also being better fed and recuperating.

Today, when he spied her in the midst of that group of tormentors, he hadn't been able to see what she looked like. But her raised voice had assured him she hadn't lost her fire yet, and for this he was glad. He didn't know where she was being kept yet, but he hoped to find out soon.

Hiccup was exhausted after his day's efforts, but as soon as the blacksmith had locked him into the barred room in the outbuilding, he was up and ready for his next challenge.

Waiting till the lights were out in the main house, and all was quiet, Hiccup slowly pulled on the chain and lock hanging from the door. Reaching the lock, Hiccup swiftly dropped a fine piece of sharp metal out of the sleeve of his tunic into his hand. The wire was thin enough to insert into the lock, and Hiccup deftly twisted it for a few seconds till a small 'click' could be heard. A large, satisfied grin immediately flicked across Hiccup's face at his success.

From there, it was relatively easy to slip out past the open door into the dark night. Keeping to the shadows, Hiccup paused for a moment, wondering if he should search for Astrid. But it was a big town, and he had no real idea of where to start looking. He intended to find her, but right now he had other objectives.

Keeping his eyes firmly peeled, he headed towards the fringes of the town. Taking careful note of the buildings around him, he committed them to memory. He intended to come this way often.

Hiccup was finally able to breath a heavy sigh of relief once he reached the safety of the forest. Searching for a recognizable path, he cautiously made his way further and further into the trees. He had been unable to bring a torch due to the fact he didn't have access to one, and also it would have given him away. But now in the darkness, with only the moonlight to guide him, he wished he had one in his hand. Something he would have to fix for the next time he came here.

For even though this was the first night he had been able to leave his locked room, it wasn't for the purpose of escaping. He intended to be back in that room in the next few hours. No...he was out here for another reason. He was searching for something...

-oOo-

In the meantime, Astrid was having troubles of her own. She also had attempted to escape the clutches of the woman who had purchased her. As a result, she was now chained to the wall next to her straw bed...right next to her mistress. There were two other inhabitants in the small house, Squinty's two overgrown sons, Wart and Toad. They had been eyeing her off ever since Squinty brought her to their home, but Squinty had laid down the law straight away...Astrid was there to do her bidding, not theirs. They had chosen to ignore their mother's caution, but the swift kick Astrid had delivered was enough to make them back off. For now.

Squinty was the town's washer woman...and now she had Astrid to help with the back breaking work. After three days of domesticated nightmares, Astrid had a whole new appreciation for wives who maintained this routine and more. Of course, she knew how to do these chores. Just not to this extent.

On Dragon's Edge, there had only ever been the six of them. Berk had been too far away to take their dirty laundry back home to their parents, so they had to learn to do it. Surprisingly, it had been Hiccup who had taught them.

Of course, with no mother in the house, a lot of these chores had fallen to the young Hiccup. And with his usual flair, he had simplified the job creating a washboard of corrugated metal to use in half a water barrel, rather than pounding rocks on clothes in the stream. She had gotten used to the more convenient method, but Squinty didn't have those luxuries. All the clothes had to be carried by basket down to the nearby stream, then washed. After that, the baskets of wet clothes had to be carried up to the lines strung between trees so all the items could be hung up to dry. The constant breeze in that area meant the clothes were dried and ready to be folded neatly back into the basket fairly quickly. The next day the clean clothes were delivered back to their owners.

And that's what Astrid had been doing on the third day. She had a basket of clothes to deliver, with Wart along to ensure she didn't get any ideas of escape. But when they arrived in the marketplace, she had immediately been accosted by a gang of louts. Wart had laughed, standing back with his arms crossed, ready to enjoy the show.

Astrid had tried to maintain a hold on the clean clothes, but to defend herself she'd been forced to drop it. A month before she would have dealt them all an ego destroying blow, but in her current weakened state she could only hold them off for a short time before fatigue started to plague her. What really angered her, was not one solitary person in the market place came to offer her aid.

Her thoughts had turned to Hiccup. This was not the sort of behavior he ever allowed in Berk or Dragon's Edge, or anywhere else for that matter. He would always step in, regardless of the consequences. It was one of the things she loved about him. She knew she could really do with his help right now. Despite her current predicament, she hoped he was okay. She hadn't seen him since they were ripped apart three days ago, and she was really worried about him. He had been sick with fever, and weak. She had to believe that he was recovering...and not that he was unwell or even dying.

But at the last moment, Astrid had been saved...sort of. Squinty had come barging in, chasing off the louts harassing her. But it was not her welfare that the older woman had been worried about...it was the state of the laundry that had bothered the old woman. Dropping the basket had meant some of it had been soiled...and needed to be washed again.

Astrid had groaned at the thought of the extra work, but was perversely pleased when Squinty gave Wart an earful for allowing it all to happen.

That night, Astrid collapsed on the straw pile and fell asleep immediately, totally exhausted. She didn't even bother to test the chain first.

-oOo-

The next few days, Hiccup started on a new routine. During the day he created new weapons which sold quite quickly for his eager master. In the evenings, he picked the lock on his room and headed into the forest. Sometimes he snuck back into the forge to quietly work on a special project using the spare pieces he had filched during the day.

During mid-morning, he always made sure to be working towards the front of the forge, where he could keep an eye on the people in the market place. He would often see Astrid at that time of day carrying a basket of laundry, with a beefy bodyguard to make sure she didn't escape or drop her load. But the bulky men didn't prevent the harassment which continued every time she stepped foot in the open. A beautiful woman like Astrid was always going to attract attention, but as a lowly slave, it seemed she received even more than usual.

During these occasions, Hiccup would watch her very closely. He couldn't dart out of the shop to protect her without raising the ire of Overbite. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to if she really needed help. Luckily, he knew that Astrid was quite capable of defending herself, and racing over too early would ruin all his carefully laid plans. He needed the forge for a little longer yet.

He had attempted to locate Astrid during the night, but he had been in too much danger of being exposed. So he had reluctantly decided to drop his search in favour of his other activities. He wanted to get out of there, but to do that, he needed several things, including Astrid. And figuring how to combine all of the ingredients was creating a headache for the young blacksmith. On top of that, his impossible schedule was making him more and more exhausted...to the point that he had occasionally fallen asleep during a lull in work.

His cough still had not left him, even though the fever had, and it was affecting his endurance and stamina. But as the days turned into three weeks, Hiccup's efforts were starting to bear fruit.

-oOo-

Meanwhile, the sailor who had bought Hiccup's sword...although he had been told it was created by Gunnart's local blacksmith, not his young slave...was in some trouble of his own. Having sailed from Gunnart a week or so ago, his ship was now docked in another port town further south.

After starting the night with a few meads, the salty sailor had wormed his way into a gambling house, expecting to earn some quick cash. His confidence in his card playing abilities only increased with the amount of liquor in his system. And now, he was losing. He owed money. Lots of it.

"Pay up tonight," warned Gamiel, the owner of the gambling house. "I want that money in my hand in the next two hours...before your ship leaves," he threatened. "Or you won't be leaving at all...you understand?" he said to the drunken sailor with a look in his eye that could never be misunderstood.

"Yes, sir!" slurred the sailor. "Although that might be a problem as I don't have anything else except a beautiful sword I bought back in Gunnart. Real nice," he promised.

"Get it," growled the gambler.

The sailor soon had the sword and staggered back with it. Gamiel looked it over carefully, "Hmmm...not bad." He put the sword behind the counter. "Now get lost."

The sailor was about to argue, but the oversized bodyguards flexing their muscles and scowling at him made him think 'elsewhere' was a good place to be. He scrammed.

A couple of days later, Gamiel received a welcome visitor in his gambling den.

"Ahh, Johann! Good to see you, my friend. I trust your journey has been fantastic as usual?"

Johann shook the man's hand. "Always a pleasure coming here, sir. My journeys often lead me to strange places where I see with my own eyes such wonderful things as never could be believed..." he began.

"I hope you're not going to tell me that cockamamie story about riders on dragons again, Johann," Gamiel laughed. "That story is best kept to around the late night fire when all the drunks are so full of mead, they will listen to anything!"

"But it's true! I've seen it with my own two eyes, sir!" Johann protested.

"Just like the story of how you wrestled the colossal squid to extract a few drops of ink that I know you purchased from the local fishermen?"

"Err...well I may have taken a few liberties with that one, but I assure you dragon riders are real."

The gambler laughed again. "I'm sure. Now Johann, stories aside, I have something for you. Take a look at this," he said, pulling out the sword.

Johann took the polished weapon with great interest. "Ahh...a fine specimen," he said, his eyes gleaming. He turned it over a few times, scrutinizing the flourish on the blade and the fine workmanship. "I feel I've seen this design before. Do you know where it came from?"

The gambler shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. A sailor gave it to me as payment for a gambling debt."

"Never mind," said Johann. "Perhaps an Arabian prince had it made for his sweet heart, but lost it in a glorious fight against a rival lover..."

Gamiel laughed. "I see another tall tale has just been born. You must spend a lot of time alone on that boat of yours!"

Johann appeared a little abashed. "That could well be true, sir. But I can always rely on my mind to keep things interesting."

The gambler chuckled. "No argument from me."

After a little more light conversation, Johann gave the man several gold coins then left, taking the fine sword with him.

-oOo-

Hiccup was at the front of the forge as per normal, keeping an eye out for Astrid. He was becoming more and more worried about her as he had seen she was looking more and more haggard, the shadows under her eyes appearing to be larger and deeper than normal. Astrid still hadn't seen him, as far as he knew, so she didn't know if he was okay, or even alive.

Trygve hadn't been sighted even once, and Hiccup could only assume that the young lad had been taken back on board the ship with the dragon hunters. For now, there was nothing he could do for him. But he really needed to get himself and Astrid away from their situations. He knew his own health had taken a hammering, despite the extra food and exercise. Clearly Astrid was struggling as well.

Even as he sharpened the latest new sword, he remained focused on the marketplace. So he noticed immediately when a commotion began once more in the centre. It only took him a heartbeat to recognize Astrid in the centre of it all.

Hiccup glanced to the back of the forge. Overbite was beside the fire, heating up a bent and damaged axe, expertly swinging a hammer at the softened metal with loud bangs and clangs. He wasn't listening to anything else other than his own rhythmic hammering.

Hiccup watched Astrid with growing unease. Today's attack seemed to be worse than normal. Usually the 'bodyguard' would step in before any of the washing suffered harm, but today, the basket had been taken from her and placed on the ground far away from the lecherous louts surrounding her. She was holding her own so far, punching and kicking the cowardly brutes. Hiccup was barely concentrating on his task, as his eyes bored into those surrounding her, waiting for them to give up and leave her alone. But they didn't.

Suddenly, she gave a cry and fell to the ground, clutching her side.

That was all it took.

Clutching the hilt of the sword he was working on, he vaulted over the front counter and raced towards Astrid. When he was close enough, he yelled loudly, raising his sword in a menacing fashion towards the circling men.

Startled, they all stood back, turning their attention to him instead of the girl still on the ground. With a few swift swipes of the blade, Hiccup expertly sliced at the group. One lost his belt and the only means of holding his pants up, another the back of his tunic was slashed open, a third found himself sporting a bald spot on the top of his head, and a fourth almost lost his ear along with his hair on the side of his head.

Finding themselves in a humiliating position, the four men decided to beat a hasty retreat. The fifth man was Wart himself, son of the illustrious Squinty. He gave Hiccup a threatening glare. But that didn't last long as Hiccup sliced through his belt too, sending his trousers to his ankles. Laughter poured forth from the market place crowd as Wart hurriedly pulled them back up and scurried out of sight.

"Astrid!" cried Hiccup, throwing aside the sword and dropping to his knees beside the exhausted girl. She was soon in his arms, being held close to his chest as she gazed up at him in wonderment.

"Hiccup...you're alive?" she whispered in a trembling voice, raising her hand to his jaw. She hardly dared to believe it was really him, and not some impossible dream. For three weeks, she hadn't known what happened to him. For three weeks, she had worn herself ragged in her worry over him, and now here he was...alive and warm under her touch.

He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks and her lips...to reassure her and himself that they were together, it was all real. But he knew their time was brief. He could already see Squinty marching towards them.

"Astrid, I've got to go. Please...can you meet me here tomorrow? I've got a plan to get away. Please...say you'll be here," he begged quickly, one eye on Astrid's rapidly approaching mistress.

Astrid hugged him tightly, telling him, "I will be here, Hiccup. Please...get us out of here."

"I will," he promised fiercely, not willing to let her go.

"Get away from her," shrieked an unpleasant voice. Squinty had reached them, and she slapped him on his shoulder to push him away from Astrid. Hiccup released her and rolled away from the continuous attack, shielding his head as best he could.

"Hey!" he protested. "If your precious son was looking out for Astrid instead of joining in the attack, she wouldn't have needed protecting."

Squinty screeched even louder. "How dare you! You vile creature!" she screamed, attempting to slap him again. Hiccup dodged her determined blows, but knew he was in trouble when Overbite came towards them to join in the fray.

"Get over here," the man snarled. Hiccup tried to head back to the forge, but was blocked by the big man striding towards him. Without warning, Overbite launched a heavy fist into the slender man's gut.

Astrid screamed in terror and rage behind them, "Leave him alone!" But Squinty and her son Toad already had her restrained. They dragged her away, even as Overbite tried to kick the younger man while he lay writhing on the ground. Fortunately, Hiccup was able to roll over at the last second, and avoided the worst of the impact. Not that he was free from any bruising. It was still going to hurt later. He scrambled to his feet and limped back to the forge, keeping a wary eye on the angry Viking. Overbite picked up the discarded sword and bent it into two pieces over his knee. He walked back through the entrance to the forge and threw the pieces at Hiccup in disgust, causing Hiccup to swerve to avoid being semi-impaled by the fractured metal.

"Fix it," had been the angry request as Overbite slammed past him.

Hiccup bent over to pick up the fallen pieces, with the intention of starting the repairs. Standing back up again, he found himself face to face with a very irate Overbite. He was holding the chain in his hand.

"You were not supposed to run away," the man snarled at him.

Hiccup stood back, his hands raised in a surrendering motion. "I didn't, I swear!" said Hiccup defending himself. "They were attacking the girl. I couldn't let them do that," he told him angrily. "Besides, if I was going to run away, I've had plenty of opportunities to do it," he added, hoping to placate the agitated man. "I told you I would stay, and I have."

Hiccup tried to reason with the man, to reassure him that he had no intentions of running. He needed the man to believe him, so that he wouldn't put the chain back on him. He had gained his trust so far, he didn't want to lose it now. Not when he was so close.

Hiccup held his breath, waiting.

Overbite stepped back, taking the chain with him. He shook it at Hiccup in warning, "No more leaving the shop. There won't be a 'next time'."

Hiccup breathed out. "No...there won't be a next time," he agreed.

Overbite went back to his work and Hiccup restarted his, glancing sideways to keep the other man in his sight.

Later that day, the large Viking had to leave the forge to attend to some errands. Hiccup found himself with a chain wrapped around his ankle. Not that it mattered much anymore. Waiting until Overbite was out of sight, Hiccup wasted no more time. He rushed to a forgotten corner bench, reaching under it to pull out his special project. He had no more time to waste.

It had to be finished by tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Just to let you know, this story is now officially NOT up for adoption. Thank you for those who sent in words of encouragement. I really appreciate it. Now we can get serious!**

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That night, Hiccup waited till the lights went out in the house, as was his normal routine. He was a lot more agitated tonight. Which was understandable. He had told Astrid to meet him the next day so they could escape. He needed to make sure all his plans were going to work, and that everything was in place. His special project had been completed just in time, and even now, was waiting for him back at the forge. That was going to be his first stop.

Finally, the lights went out. Hiccup waited a little longer. When his nerves were strung so high Hiccup thought he might snap, it was time to go. Pulling out his thin piece of trusty wire, Hiccup made short work of the lock holding the gate closed. Taking an oil soaked and cloth bound torch with him, he snuck around the building and headed towards the forge, following a well-worn path.

Reaching the door, he quickly picked the lock holding it closed and slipped inside. Stopping only long enough to ensure nobody had heard him, he ducked over to his secret hiding spot, pulling out a large and carefully wrapped bundle. Slinging it over his shoulder, he rearranged the other bags he had brought with him from his 'room' and headed back out the door. Hiccup carefully locked the door once more, then slunk off between the buildings heading for the forest.

He still held the unlit torch in his hand, yet refused to light it because of his proximity to the town. The last thing he needed was some sharp eyed villager spotting a light in the forest, coming to investigate and finding him. That would be a disaster of epic proportions impossible to get himself out of. He was so close to leaving this place and taking Astrid with him, he didn't need anything to go wrong.

Hiccup quietly cursed when he stumbled over an unseen object. The light from a half moon cast its pale glow over the pathway, broken only by the shadow of the trees. For now it was enough, and Hiccup was glad for it. When he decided he was deep enough, he lifted up the torch.

"Toothless, plasma blast," he whispered.

A short blast of fire flew out of the darkness, instantly lighting the torch.

"Thanks bud," Hiccup grinned, the cheery flame highlighting the large black beast treading lightly towards him, a draconic grin showing off his toothless gums.

The dragon pushed into Hiccup's chest, nudging him till he fell over.

"Hey! You overgrown lizard," the young man complained light heartedly, attempting to push the Night Fury off. "Stop that, we've got work to do!"

A second even larger animal loomed out behind Toothless, coming to investigate the commotion.

"Stormfly! Help me please?" Hiccup begged, squirming under the heavy beast in his best effort to stand back up again. Stormfly merely came forward and joined in with the game.

"No! Not you too!" laughed Hiccup giving in and scratching Toothless under the chin, finding the sweet spot. The Night Fury rolled his eyes back in bliss and promptly collapsed over his rider.

"Oomph...maybe that wasn't such a smart move," said Hiccup in a strangled voice as he tried to push the zoned out dragon off.

Stormfly decided to help, and tugged on Toothless until Hiccup could wriggle out from underneath the snoozing beast.

"Thanks girl. That was a big help," he grinned, giving her an overdue hug of affection.

He unhooked the large bundle over his back.

"Let's start with you, seeing as you're ready to go," Hiccup began, pulling out a small, light saddle. It wasn't the same size as the one Astrid was used to riding on as he only intended it to be just enough for them to escape this island. Besides, he'd had to keep most of the leather he'd 'found' at the blacksmith for the new tailfin he'd recreated to allow Toothless to fly. The rest of the leather had gone on the hastily put together saddlery to allow him to control Toothless tail.

By the time Hiccup had the saddle securely fastened to Stormfly, Toothless was up from his snooze and ready for action again. Hiccup showed him the flying equipment but had trouble fitting it on the Night Fury as Toothless was wriggling his whole body in excitement.

"Toothless!" Hiccup admonished. "We can't go flying if you won't sit still!"

That had the desired effect, and the dragon quelled his movements till the young man had successfully attached all the gear, and double checked it for size and snugness. Once he was satisfied all was well, Toothless let loose again, nudging his rider till he had tossed him up and into the saddle. Hiccup laughed at the dragon's enthusiasm.

"Okay bud. Let's take it for a test flight. Slow and steady, okay? We can't afford for this to break," Hiccup warned.

Toothless snorted in agreement, his wings already spread. Pumping them in expectation, he waited for Hiccup's nudge. Hiccup gave him the signal and the two leapt into the night sky for the first time in almost two months. Relishing the freedom, Hiccup couldn't help but feel guilty. Astrid hadn't been as lucky as him. Whereas he'd had access to their dragons and freedom, she'd been confined with no contact to any friendly faces. He'd been able to observe her and know she was okay, but Astrid had been worried constantly with nothing to give her hope.

His heart weighed down heavy in his chest, so he patted the dragon's neck. "Time to head back Toothless. Fun time is over," he said with a heavy sigh. "This has to work tomorrow, bud. We can't fail." Toothless crooned in concern. "Yeah...me too, bud."

The two landed beside Stormfly, and Hiccup slowly slipped off. He went to check on Stormfly.

"Show me your wings, girl," he requested. The Nadder complied, gently flapping her wings with confidence. And just to prove the point, she jumped up into the air and circled around him before landing beside him.

She trilled at him, resettling her wings in satisfaction.

He laughed. "Okay girl. You're good to go. I believe you."

Toothless disappeared for a minute. Hiccup soon found out why when his lost sword was dropped at his feet.

"Inferno? " asked Hiccup, picking it in surprise. Toothless gave a wide eyed pleased look to the young man.

Hiccup checked the sword over, discovering it still had a little nightmare gel left in it. Besides that, the blade was still sharp.

Hiccup was stunned. He reached over to stroke the Night Fury's head. "You are amazing, bud," he said, totally in awe yet again of the dragon's intelligence. Toothless purred in a very pleased manner, rubbing himself up against the boy. Hiccup tucked the sword into his tunic.

Now that the two dragons were carefully saddled and able to fly, there was only one more thing to do. Picking up the two small bags he had left over, he tied one to each dragon ready for the next day. Once he was happy all was secure, he stood back with a huge sigh.

"This has to work, Toothless," he told the dragon with a tone almost verging on panic.

Toothless crooned in an attempt to comfort his boy, nudging him in the chest. Hiccup rested his forehead on the Fury's head. "Thanks bud."

Not long after, the young chief slipped back into his temporary cage, taking care to relock the door behind him.

The next day was going to be an important day. Winter was almost upon them and he wanted to be gone before then. Otherwise, it was going to be a dangerous trip home. Tomorrow, things could go horribly wrong...or completely right.

He only hoped it was the latter.

-oOo-

The next day started early, as was the norm. Hiccup was bursting with nerves, finding it very difficult to maintain his usual calm facade. Overbite seemed not to notice anything, and put him to work straight away. But as the morning progressed, things changed. The blacksmith appeared to be searching for something, and obviously not finding it. Muttering under his moustache, the man began to send suspicious glares towards his worker. Hiccup tried hard to ignore it, continuing with his work. Caution led him to steal multiple glances towards the irritated man. So when the large beardless shape loomed up beside him, Hiccup was ready.

"Where is my leather?" Overbite demanded aggressively.

Hiccup kept the axe he was working on between him and his master. "Where it normally is...under the shelf," he answered warily.

"Don't lie to me," warned the big man. "There was a roll of it in the corner yesterday. I saw it. And now it's gone," he spat out, the fire in his eyes making Hiccup hesitate and his heart leap into his mouth. That 'roll' was the tailfin he had made for Toothless. He thought he had it hidden well while he was working on it. Somehow, Overbite had seen it.

"Are you sure?" questioned Hiccup, pretending to frown. "I didn't see any leather over there. Only the stuff in the normal spot."

This only served to anger the other man even more. "Are you calling me a liar?" he yelled, leaning over Hiccup and reminding him quite sharply who had the physical advantage here.

Hiccup's frightened face peered up at the man. "No, no, no, no! I would never dare to do anything like that!" he promised, his hands up in a sign of submission. "It's just that I didn't notice it, that's all. Maybe it's in a different spot? Yeah, maybe that's what happened. It got shifted!" he said rapidly.

Overbite pulled his brows together heavily and stared at Hiccup suspiciously while he decided whether to believe him or not. Hiccup decided to throw himself into the act a little more.

"How about I look for it?" he suggested carefully, the half-finished axe still in his hands. "I can check if it rolled under the benches somewhere," he offered.

Overbite stared at him with narrowed eyes for a little longer. "Okay. You search. You find it," he demanded, walking back to his bench to keep working.

Hiccup stepped around him and made a show of searching in all the locations that the bigger man would never be able to get too. While he did this, he kept stealing glances towards the market place. He was waiting for Astrid to arrive so the two of them could make their escape. But she was late.

The last thing Hiccup needed was for his way out to be blocked by an angry man the size of a small mountain. Despite all the weapons surrounding him, the only blade he intended to take was tucked inside his boot. Inferno had been returned to him last night by Toothless. It had been a great 'surprise' sword in previous occasions. If the need called for it, it would be again.

He kept searching.

"Nothing here," he called out after searching under one bench, before heading to another. "Nothing here, either," he said after checking through a chest.

The big man pointed a thick finger at him. "You stole it," he accused his slave.

Hiccup tried to look offended. "Me? Steal your leather? How would I do that? I'm with you all day long," he reminded the other man. He could see Overbite was conflicted, wanting to claim Hiccup had stolen it, but knowing what the young man said was true. Except for...

"You stole it when I was out of the forge," the Viking argued, pushing forward into Hiccup's face.

Hiccup stepped back behind a table. "What would I do with leather?" he asked boldly. "Make a saddle for a dragon? How laughable is that?" he shot out.

The big man frowned even further, his face darkening dangerously as he lurched towards Hiccup. "You want to laugh at me?"

"Oh no, no...I only meant I have no use for leather. Maybe somebody else took it?" Hiccup suggested breathlessly, moving again to begin the deadly dance of avoidance. His gaze cast frantically out towards the market place, but there was no blonde shield maiden waiting for him. He was starting to panic. Everything seemed to be heading for disaster. He was about to be turned into mincemeat by the powerful blacksmith chasing him around the confines of the forge, and Astrid was nowhere to be found.

"Astrid, come on...where are you?" he muttered under his breath, side stepping Overbite again.

"Stay still, boy," demanded Overbite, his fists clenched in frustration. "I know it was you that took it. I feel the fire still hot in the mornings."

He picked up a lethal looking axe. Hiccup blanched. Things were getting trickier.

Risking a glance to the market, there was still no blonde shield maiden waiting for him.

"You have me locked up every night. How is it possible for me to do anything?" Hiccup questioned breathlessly, side stepping behind the table.

"You are a blacksmith," retorted the big man. "A lock means nothing to you." He flung the axe straight towards a wide-eyed Hiccup. The younger man ducked at the last second, turning to stare at the axe embedded in the wall behind him. If he hadn't moved, the sharp blade would have cut clean through his scalp.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he screeched. "Why?"

Overbite picked up another weapon, ironically one of Hiccup's own creations. "You're trying to make a fool of me," the man growled ferociously. "Nobody does that and lives," he glowered darkly.

Hiccup was getting desperate. Astrid was still nowhere to be found and it was well past the time of day she normally appeared. He hoped nothing had happened to her. In the meantime, he was running out of options in avoiding the large blacksmith. Unfortunately, there were also a lot of weapons for the Viking to arm himself with.

Hiccup grabbed a shield, lifting it in time for the hunting knife to deflect off it.

"Hey...that was too close," he protested.

Overbite had a nasty glint in his eye. "That was the idea."

"But what about all the money you paid for me?" said Hiccup, deflecting another flying knife. The market place was still devoid of Astrid.

"You are mine to do what I want with you," was the rough answer. Which didn't really reassure Hiccup at all.

When Overbite picked up a heavy mace, Hiccup knew he was in serious trouble.

Just at the moment, he heard yelling in the town. He risked a glance behind him. What he saw made him even more fearful. Astrid was bolting into the market place with the two large sons of Squinty right behind her.

"HICCUP!" she screamed, turning her head to look at those following her. She headed straight into the town centre.

Hiccup knew he had to act fast. Pulling out Inferno, he flicked out the blade and set it on fire. Overbite abruptly stood back at the unexpected turn of events.

"My turn," said Hiccup in a menacing fashion. He waved the flaming sword in front of the stupefied blacksmith, who watched in mesmerized amazement. Backing up, Hiccup turned to vault over the counter and raced to head off the blonde woman.

"ASTRID! HERE!" he yelled, Inferno still blazing in his hand.

He could hear the relief in her voice. "Hiccup!" She changed tack and headed straight for him, her legs still pumping hard. All the commotion had attracted too much attention from the surrounding townsfolk with heads swiveling in their direction.

Hiccup reached Astrid, but did not slow down. He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him, towards the fringes of the town. Some folk appeared keen to join in the fray, until a blast of a fire sword under their noses made them think twice.

Behind Astrid, Wart and Toad were yelling loudly, "DON'T LET HER GET AWAY! STOP HER, YOU FOOLS!"

Overbite joined in, waving his mace madly. "KILL THEM!"

"Not good, not good, not good," breathed Hiccup, struggling to duck and weave through the crowd closing in on them. They were getting closer to the edge of town, but it seemed people were flowing out of every building, heading in to block them off. Hiccup retracted Inferno, stashing it in his belt. With his one free hand, he raised it to his mouth and let out a roar, shocking those who heard it.

It was only a moment before an answering roar came from the forest. Hiccup and Astrid both kept running, though their smiles of relief were clearly visible.

A huge black shape bounded out of the forest, scattering villagers everywhere. An even taller blue-grey figure launched out behind him, squawking fiercely to any who dared to oppose them.

"Toothless! Stormfly!" yelled Hiccup and Astrid, making a beeline for their dragons.

In a town full of dragon hunters, two dragons wasn't something to be running away from, even if one of them was the almighty Night Fury. Several men grabbed weapons and charged towards the beasts, yelling their war cries. Toothless responded with a deep roar of his own. The hunters soon came screeching to a halt when many more dragons loomed up silently behind the first two. Not even the experienced hunters would dare to tackle that many all at once, especially without the right weapons.

Hiccup and Astrid reached their dragons, leaping into their saddles. Toothless and Stormfly flapped hard and rose into the air, the other dragons taking their cue and rising with them. They all hovered over the dumbfounded crowd.

"We are dragon riders," Hiccup yelled loudly to the people. "We do not hurt dragons, and they in turn, protect us. Listen and learn. They are peaceful."

His words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as angry hunters swarmed forward. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. With dragons, it had always been kill or be killed. They weren't about to change that, especially when very good money could be had by the person who could catch a Night Fury.

Hiccup saw the people armed and running to attack. Anger built up in his chest and exploded.

"STOP!" he yelled in a commanding voice. Even Astrid sat back and watched him. She'd never seen him like this before.

"Know this, if you refuse to listen, then you will pay the price for your greed and violence," he warned loudly.

"We will not listen to you," replied a well-known voice. Overbite held his mace above his head, throwing it with deadly precision to unseat the young man from the saddle. Before the weapon reached him, there were several blasts which turned the flying mace into nothing but ash.

"Dragon Lord," began to be whispered through the crowd. "He commands the dragons," was repeated fearfully.

Hunters stubbornly refused to back down despite the stirrings of fear. They yelled and charged to attack again.

"Now!" yelled Hiccup, seeing there was to be no peace with dragons here. All the multi coloured beasts surrounding him shot forth their flames, setting fire to everything within range and scattering the hunters.

They rose into the air, the sounds of screams and yelling following them while they raced away from the violent and greedy village. It didn't take long before they had left it all behind, flying instead over open ocean.

Hiccup turned towards Astrid. "I don't think we'll be welcome back there anytime soon."

She gave him an exhausted half grin. "We can check that town off our list of holiday destinations."

He chuckled, leaning forward to stroke the top of Toothless head. "How about we get as far away from here as we can. What you think, bud?"

Toothless gave a short bark.

"I thought so," said Hiccup, sitting up and giving his beloved Astrid a huge grin. Sitting astride her Nadder once more, she returned it. Laughing freely for the first time in weeks, she threw her hands up into the crisp air and breathed it in deeply.

"We're free!" she yelled excitedly into the sky. Some of the dragons drifted closer to her with worried expressions. She saw them. "Don't worry, I'm happy," she reassured them with a laugh.

Turning towards a softly grinning Hiccup, she sung out, "Thank you Hiccup. You did it!"

"Told you I would, didn't I?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes, you did," she agreed. "And I never doubted you," she told him earnestly.

-oOo-

It was only about an hour later, the exhausted duo landed on a small island. It was not ideal for anything more than a brief stopover, but they had seen a freshwater stream cascading over the edge of a waterfall. To them, it looked like paradise. Hiccup stumbled as he dismounted from the saddle, Toothless catching him with his wing. Hiccup's haggard and drawn face searched for Astrid, who currently was still astride Stormfly. He could see that she was literally sleeping sitting up, her head lolling forward.

He staggered over to her, resting a hand on her thigh.

"Astrid...wake up. We're here," he told her hoarsely.

She jolted, nearly falling off her dragon. He grabbed her around the waist, and Stormfly gently hunkered down to make it easier for him to pull the sleepy girl down. Astrid yawned widely and leaned up against Hiccup, her head falling on his shoulder while he kept his arm around her waist. Walking with her to a patch of sand hidden under a shady tree, he helped her down then lay down beside her. Cradling her head onto his shoulder, he called out to the Night Fury and Deadly Nadder, "We need some sleep guys. Keep a look out please."

The two dragons immediately circled around them both, stretching their wings out in protection. All the other dragons spread out to inspect the island, searching for trouble while the two humans slept peacefully for the first time since they had left Dragon's Edge two months ago. They lay curled in each other's arms, neither willing to let go after enduring the longest separation they'd ever had since they were fifteen. Even though the effects of that separation were clearly visible in the lines on their faces and the wasting of their bodies, the peace they now had softened their features. They appeared older than their nineteen years, and wisdom borne of hard times would always stand them apart from their peers. For now though, none of that mattered. They had each other, they had their dragons...and they were free.

-oOo-

It wasn't till early the next morning before they woke, stretching languorously into each other. Astrid snuggled into Hiccup's chest, feeling too comfortable to move just yet.

"Morning," Hiccup murmured into her hair, planting a light kiss on her blonde locks.

"Mmm," she responded.

"How you feeling?" he asked.

She stretched her arm across his chest, a pleased grin on her face. "Much better now I have you where you belong," she told him.

He chuckled. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he told her, "Feeling's very much mutual."

They were rudely interrupted by a snuffling Night Fury, pushing his head in for some attention.

"Yeah, we missed you too," laughed Hiccup giving the large head an affectionate rub.

Astrid stroked the dragon too, but was soon confronted by a Nadder beak pushing in for her turn at the cuddles.

"Hey girl...don't worry, you won't miss out," she reassured Stormfly, giving her chin a scratch.

Eventually the two riders convinced the dragons to let them up. Escaping their slave masters was only the beginning. They needed to get home, but winter would soon be upon them. Neither of them knew where they were, a map not being one of the items Hiccup had managed to locate on his nightly scrounging.

Both were weakened, underweight and well under their usual healthy form. Hiccup had only been able to make enough saddlery to get them in the air, and it was certainly not enough for the lengthy trip home.

On top of that, Hiccup had only managed to scavenge enough food to last a few days, if they eked it out. Although the dragons could certainly help with that. Fishing was their area of expertise, but even that was not going to be easy. They had no camping equipment or weaponry save for Inferno. And their clothes had not survived the rough conditions very well, especially since they had nothing else to wear. They looked and felt like ship wreck victims.

Hiccup and Astrid explored the island, to see what they could find to help them on their journey. They certainly took advantage of the stream, jumping in fully clothed to wash themselves and their clothes as best they could. Being locked up on a ship, and then slaving for Vikings hadn't granted them many opportunities to clean up. The cool, fresh water was a very welcome chance to change all that.

From there, they had eaten some of their supplies and fallen asleep in each other's arms later that afternoon, sleeping through till the next morning again. The motley herd of dragons had stuck close to them, although Hiccup had noted one or two had chosen to leave. One of those had been Snapper, the Snafflefang who had bonded with the young boy, Trygve. Hiccup hadn't been surprised to see him go, although his heart weighed heavily as he thought of all the lad had given up to help them. He vowed to himself to do everything he could to find out what had happened to him.

On the morning of their third day on the island, Hiccup knew it was time to go. The dragons were getting restless with the coming cold weather, and were worried about their human friends. There was no protection apart from the wings of dragons. They needed help, which was not to found here. They had to move.

The two long nights of rest had helped to restore some vigor to the young couple. So on the fourth morning, Hiccup, Astrid and their entire collection of dragons set off again. Along the way, they rescued two Terrible Terrors from being bullied by a group of teenage Thunderdrums. And just for fun, they decided to train them to deliver messages to each other. Their names were Shadow and Dart.

Hiccup and Astrid plus their dragon entourage traveled for nearly a week, making as many stops on small islands as they could, their limited energy reserves meaning they had to rest often.

Hiccup had given his best estimate on which way Berk was, but the line of flight they had taken was actually leading them away from their home town. Something which they wouldn't realise for quite some time yet.

Finally, they found a much bigger island with a village established on the shores.

Astrid shivered as they landed on the opposite side of the island, winter's chill felt sharply in the brisk morning air. Hopping off Stormfly, she found Hiccup walking up behind her and rubbing her arms with his hands to warm her up. Leaning back against him, she asked, "What's the plan?"

"I guess we leave the dragons here while we walk around the island to the village. We'll go in and pretend to be ship wreck survivors, floating in on the waves. Hopefully they'll buy it long enough for us to grab some supplies and a map, then we can go home before devastating winter kicks in," said Hiccup, wrapping his arms more firmly around her.

"Is that all?" she asked drily, enjoying his warmth against her back. "Sounds so easy when you say it like that."

"Hey, I'm trying to be positive here," he complained against her ear.

"So...what do we do if they don't believe us?' she asked.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Uh...have you seen us lately? We're the poster children for all shipwreck survivors," he reminded her.

She glanced down at their bedraggled clothing and had to agree.

"Okay...what if they're not friendly?" she asked instead.

He shrugged, releasing her and heading over to stroke the Night Fury's scaly head. "Then we do what we always do...yell for our dragons and hightail it out of here."

She sighed in resignation. "Well, let's hope they're friendly. I don't think I could stand too much hightailing it right now."

Hiccup shot her a worried look. He knew she was staying brave, just as a Viking shield maiden was expected to. But he also knew she had limits.

Walking over, he grabbed her hand in reassurance. "I'm sure it will be fine. Ready to go?"

She nodded, gripping his hand more firmly.

"Okay...Toothless, please keep all the dragons here and out of the way for now. If we need you, we'll call...okay?" said Hiccup to his dragon. Toothless huffed in concern, but warbled his agreement anyways.

Hiccup knew the number of dragons travelling with them would probably dwindle significantly if he and Astrid were successful in finding help here. Winter was fast approaching, and this was normally the time of year when dragons would leave for warmer locations, especially closer to Snoggletog when they would head off to have their babies. Years before in Berk, winter had always been a time of relief, knowing there wouldn't be any dragon raids when they all but disappeared. But now that they were at peace, the dragons had decided to stay in Berk. Except for nesting time of course.

Hiccup glanced over at the group of dragons all staring at them with expectation. He knew these dragons would not leave them until it was evident the pair were safe. They had already gone through so much together on the hunter's ship. Hiccup knew neither group would abandon the other.

Heading off for the long walk on the outskirts of the island, the couple had to rest a few times to catch their breath. Normally this type of activity would only take a small amount of time, but with both of them feeling so run down, it was close to the time of the midday meal before they managed to finally stagger through the trees into the edges of the town. Startling some villagers with their haggard appearance, they found that neither of them were able to stand on their own feet anymore and they collapsed with exhaustion right in front of them all.

Hiccup could hear "Chief!" being yelled. He called out weakly "Help..." then promptly fainted.


	9. Chapter 9

It was only about an hour later, that Hiccup came round, only to find himself stretched out on some furs on the floor in a small building that smelt strongly of herbs and smoke. Searching around the room, he saw Astrid sleeping peacefully beside him, his heart surging at the realisation she was okay.

There was also someone else in the room. A middle aged, plump woman with a kind face and black hair curled up into a loose bun was bustling around a fire pit in the middle. He could see the gray strands whisping out around her face.

She soon saw him. "Rest, child," she told him, shuffling over to him. Hiccup relaxed back into the furs.

"Thank you," he mumbled. She seemed friendly and helpful, but Hiccup remained slightly on edge. Collapsing hadn't been part of the plan, so he wasn't sure if they had received a positive reception from the rest of the Clan or not.

"What are your names?" the woman asked gently.

"Uh...Hiccup, and that's Astrid," he told her. The two had already decided they weren't going to reveal everything about themselves...just in case.

"What happened to both of you?" she asked next.

"Shipwreck," he answered shortly.

The healer nodded. "And a lot more than that, I would say," she responded sagely as she stirred a huge pot of something that smelled good to Hiccup's starving nose. His stomach grumbled loudly.

Hiccup blushed in embarrassment as the woman gave a gentle laugh.

"Been a while," he shrugged. Beside him, Astrid stirred.

"Hey," he welcomed her quietly, leaning over to tuck back a few stray hairs from her face. He could see she was instantly alert, her eyes scanning around the room and landing on the other resident of the room.

"Good, your awake," the woman beamed. "My name is Brenda. I'm the healer here in Torstein Village." She ladled out two bowls of soup, bringing them over to the two very hungry patients.

Hiccup and Astrid sat up and took the bowls, but still wouldn't take a bite, eyeing it off first in doubt.

She laughed, "Obviously, you've had a lot of trouble before coming here," she noted. "It's only soup... to fill your bellies and plump out your cheeks," she told them with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Thank you," said Astrid gratefully, picking up the spoon.

The two said nothing further, and the soup quickly disappeared. A second bowl each soon went the same way as the first. Brenda offered a third bowl, but the young couple declined.

"We appreciate the food, but we don't want to presume on your hospitality," Hiccup told her respectfully.

She shook her head. "It's my job to take care of those who need it...and right now, you two need it."

Astrid's gaze dropped. She wasn't used to needing help, but their time in captivity had weakened them a lot. It hurt her pride more than she cared to admit to be in such a position. She swallowed hard.

"We are prepared to work in return," she offered the woman with determination.

Brenda opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a respectful knock at the door before a large man entered through. By his dress, he was obviously the Chief of this village. Hiccup and Astrid watched him warily, trying to gauge his reaction to them. He seemed concerned, but they stayed alert.

"Ah...you're awake. Good," he rumbled in his deep voice to them. Noting the empty bowls, he added, "And I see Brenda has fed you as well."

Brenda grinned at her chief. "They nearly ate the pattern off the bowl, they were so hungry," she told him.

The two sitting on the floor looked slightly abashed.

"So, you were right," said the Chief, causing Hiccup and Astrid to shoot a glance at each other in bewilderment.

"Aye...easy to tell when young people have hit hard times not of their own causing," she said.

The Chief nodded and settled on a chair, the two before him sitting up straighter and moving closer together.

"Introductions first," he started. "I'm Chief Hersker. As I'm sure you know by now, you have landed on the island of the Torstein Tribe."

The young couple kept their gaze polite but guarded as they listened. The Chief saw this and sort to reassure them.

"No need to worry. You're safe now. Nobody's going to hurt you. Can you tell us how you came to land here?" he asked gently.

Hiccup cast a glance at Astrid before telling their rehearsed story. "We were captured about two months ago, sir, and sold as slaves. We managed to escape, but ended up capsizing our boat and floated towards your shores. We're trying to get back home but we will need supplies. We're willing to work for it," he told the older man cautiously.

The Chief narrowed his eyes in thought. "Hmm...what sort of work do you do?" he asked.

"I'm a blacksmith sir," Hiccup told him. "And Astrid is one of the best warriors I know," he said proudly.

Astrid glanced at him in appreciation for his words. "Usually I am," she added. "When we've both regained our strength. In the meantime I can do whatever work needs to be done. I'm very determined."

The Chief smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you are. We always have extra work for willing hands. And old Vard our blacksmith could use some help."

Brenda snorted, "If you don't mind working with a cantankerous stubborn old mule."

Hiccup grinned, "I've worked with a few like that before. I'm sure I'll fit in just fine."

The Chief laughed. "Good to hear. That's what we'll do then. Once Brenda says you are ready, you can start work to earn your keep. You are welcome here, unless you do something wrong. Then we'll have to throw you in jail." He said it all very politely, and with a smile on his jolly face, but the undercurrent of steel in the glint of his eye let them know he meant every word he said.

Hiccup told him sincerely, "Chief, we thank you for your generous offer. You won't have any reason to regret your decision."

"Good," said the Chief, rising to his feet.

After Chief Hersker had left, Brenda collected the bowls from her two patients. "You two will stay with me until your cheeks have filled out and you're glowing with good health again," she told them firmly.

"Yes ma'am," said Hiccup meekly, before all three burst out laughing.

Astrid and Hiccup turned to each other and smiled, relieved to find they seemed to have fallen on their feet this time. They hoped to be on their way back home to Berk soon. They only needed to stay long enough to gather a few supplies, and then they would be off.

For the time being, they would keep their dragons hidden. They had learnt over the years that it was always best to pick the right time to bring them out. Right now they needed supplies, and they didn't want to accidentally mess that up yet.

But first...

"Sleep," commanded Brenda. Hiccup and Astrid with full bellies, feeling safe and relaxed for the first time in ages, were willing to comply.

-oOo-

Johann gave a huge smile. It was always nice to dock after days and weeks at sea. He threw a rope to those waiting for him to tie off his ship. Plus Berk always received him well. Throwing out the ramp, he waited for his first customers.

"Welcome, the good people of Berk!" he called out cheerfully. "Ah Stoick! How are you this fine day?" Johann greeted the Chief and Gobber who were amongst the first to board the ship. "I'm hoping to hear good news of young Master Hiccup and Astrid. Surely you must have found them by now? I went by Dragon's Edge but nobody was there. I assume the youngsters were off on one of their missions?"

Johann's smile was wide as he spoke hopefully, but it faltered when Stoick and Gobber's expressions became more somber.

"Oh dear. Bad news I suppose?" he asked sorrowfully.

Johann was a well-travelled merchant, but Berk had always held a special attraction for him. Especially young Hiccup and Astrid. It didn't seem right that something terrible should happen to such a vibrant and courageous young couple.

"We think they were taken by dragon hunters," Stoick informed the trader.

"Hunters? But that is terrible," gasped Johann.

"Aye, that it is," agreed Stoick. "If you hear anything, please let me know," he requested.

"Of course, sir. I would do anything to help bring the young master and mistress, home," Johann told the men sincerely.

After Stoick and Gobber left the ship, Johann was left to shake his head. What a terrible state of affairs it was. Still, he had a schedule to keep and wares to sell. He would have to keep his despondency to himself for now. He smiled broadly for his next customer.

"Ah, Sven! So good to see you again, sir. What can I help you with today? A gift for your lovely wife? Perhaps a sword? What about this fine specimen... designed by an Arabian prince for a lost love," he spruiked.

It wasn't long before Sven was several gold coins poorer, and one sword richer. He gave an exultant grin as he carried it home.

-oOo-

Johann had already set sail once more, having done a successful day's trading with the residents of Berk, when Gobber noticed something. He saw Sven waving his new acquisition around, showing it to a friend and boasting about his good find. Something about the sword took his interest, so he approached Sven to have a closer look. When he did, he immediately gasped, reaching out to grab the sword from Sven's very surprised hand.

Ignoring the other man's protests, Gobber studied it closely. There was no doubt...the sword was exactly what he thought it was.

"Where did you get this?" he asked Sven abruptly.

"Trader Johann. He got it from an Arabian prince..." Sven started but was interrupted when Gobber strode off in a great hurry, taking the sword with him.

"Hey, Gobber! That's my sword!" he complained loudly.

"Not anymore," was the curt reply.

Gobber raced towards the Great Hall, where he had last seen the Chief. Bursting in through the open doors, he waved the sword about and yelled, "Stoick! Come quick!"

Stoick frowned at the urgent tone coming from Gobber, but didn't hesitate to stop what he was doing and stride quickly over to his best friend. Although he was a little surprised to see Sven puffing up behind him and yelling at Gobber.

"Gobber! What's the meaning of all this?" questioned Stoick firmly.

"This sword...look at it," urged Gobber, shoving it forward.

Both men ignored Sven as Stoick took the sword and studied it. He'd seen too many samples of Hiccup's work to not recognize it straight away.

"Where did it come from?" demanded Stoick immediately.

"Sven had it," was the answer.

Both friends turned to the surprised Sven, who started to get the idea something important was going on with the sword. He backed up a little.

"I bought it from Johann. An Arabian prince..." he started to say. Till he found he no longer had an audience.

"Where did they go?"

Gobber and Stoick called to their respective steeds, Grump and Skullcrusher, the heavy dragons flying over to meet them. They didn't take long to catch up with Johann, landing heavily on his small craft.

"Sirs!" cried Johann nervously, hoping the large beasts and large men would not sink his ship. "What is the occasion for this undeserved visit?" he asked.

Stoick pulled out a sword, making Johann jump back in trepidation. "Sir?" he asked worriedly.

"Where did you get this?" the Chief asked roughly.

"Ahh...I see you've taken a liking to the sword made by an..." Johann began.

"If you say Arabian prince...I'll toss you overboard," threatened Gobber. "What's the real story?"

"Er...okay," stuttered Johann nervously.

Stoick brandished the weapon, flipping it so that the trader could see the handle. "See this signature?" he asked. "Do you recognize it?"

Johann peered at the design. "Well, no...I thought it seemed familiar when I..." his voice trailed off as his mind put two and two together. He gasped in dismay. "This is Master Hiccup's work!" he said, completely shocked.

"Yes," said Gobber grimly. "Where exactly did you get it from? Think carefully now," he warned.

Johann frowned as he thought. "I believe a sailor left it at the gambling den in a seaside port town," he finally told them. "It's not unusual for Gamiel, the owner, to sell items to me that others have used as payment for debts."

"Where did the sailor get it?" asked Stoick with a growl.

Johann shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that one," he told them sorrowfully. "Perhaps the den owner might be of further assistance? Although he is a long way from here."

"Where, exactly?" demanded Stoick.

Johann rushed below deck to bring out a rolled map. He unraveled it on a crate and pointed to part of the mainland further North. "Here."

Stoick and Gobber's eyebrows both reached high above their foreheads.

"There? How on earth did Hiccup's sword end up there?" they wondered incredulously, staring at the map to a spot so far away, it was almost impossible to comprehend that much distance.

"I'm afraid good sirs, I simply don't know the answer to that one. But I must warn you...it has been several weeks since I purchased that sword," replied Johann.

Stoick nodded soberly. "Thank you, Johann. I appreciate your help."

Not much later, the two men were back in the air on their dragons.

Gobber drifted closer. "What are you thinking, Stoick?" he asked carefully.

Stoick frowned deeply. "I'm thinking it's time we went for a trip," he decided.

Gobber nodded, already expecting that answer.

-oOo-

Early the next morning, Stoick and the four teens were assembled in the village centre, ready to launch. The village they were going to, was marked on the map Fishlegs carried. It was a lengthy journey so Stoick had made sure they had plenty of provisions to keep them going. They would bolster their food reserves with fish and game that they would find along the way. He also planned to drop in and visit a few allies along the way for the same purpose. Although they had to be careful…not all their allies were comfortable with the dragons.

Looking over at the twins already arguing, he wasn't so sure he was comfortable with the other riders.

This was familiar territory….after all, they had already flown together when they were searching for Hiccup and Astrid. But Gobber had been with him then.

Stoick rolled his eyes. "Why do I feel like I'm in more trouble than Hiccup?" he asked in his baritone voice.

"You'll be fine, Stoick," said his friend Gobber reassuringly. "And if they play up, you can drop them in the ocean," he said nonchalantly.

Stoick sighed. "What if he's not there?" he asked his friend quietly, revealing his deeper concerns. "What if we can't find them. What if something's happened to them both? What do I do then?" he asked worriedly.

Gobber placed a heavy hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then we'll figure out what to do. But we know he was alive, Stoick. Don't forget that. He made that sword, and that's no small feat. If he was well enough to forge a piece of work like that, then he's well enough to come home. They're alive, Stoick." Gobber thumped his stomach. "I feel it in my gut."

Stoick nodded, his brows drawn together thoughtfully. He knew how much Hiccup and Astrid meant to Gobber. The man treated them as if they were his own children. If Gobber felt the missing pair were alive, then he would draw hope from that. All Stoick had to do, was find them. He glanced over at the teens he had decided to take with him.

Provided he survived the ordeal of flying with this lot.

Under Hiccup's guidance, the four had become exceptional dragon riders. They had proven themselves time and time again during their adventures together fighting off the dragon hunters, and locating new dragons in far off lands. Stoick had developed many lasting friendships with Vikings from other tribes over the years, but Hiccup and his team had reached far beyond what he could ever hope to achieve. His son had done things Stoick himself had never thought possible.

He leaned forward to give his dragon, Skullcrusher, a pat. Riding on the backs of dragons was something he still struggled to believe was possible, even after all this time. He didn't know what had happened to either of his children, but he hoped Hiccup's record of doing the impossible helped carry the two through. Until Stoick could get them home.

Finishing his last minute packing, Stoick paused to consider the weather. Winter would be here soon. He intended to fly straight through, find Hiccup and Astrid, then fly straight back again….dependent on the condition he found the two in. It was a risk to be travelling this late in the season, but he was willing to take it to get his son and future daughter-in-law back home. He estimated a little more than a week should get them there.

Straightening up his shoulders, he shot a look over at the others. It was time.

"Dragon riders," he roared, instantly gaining the attention of the youths. "Mount up. It's time to go."

Snotlout and the twins hollered in delight, leaping onto the backs of their excited dragons. Fishlegs was a little more demure in his approach. Soon Stoick was leading the way for the small group of five plus their dragons into the unknown…hoping to find what they were looking for.

-oOo-

The day after Hiccup and Astrid arrived at Torstein Village, they found themselves at the Chief's home meeting with his family.

"This is my daughter Tula, and my nephew Erik," said the Chief proudly.

Hiccup and Astrid politely shook hands with the two. Tula appeared slightly younger than they were. She wore her long brown hair pulled back loosely and tied with a leather tie. She was slender and quite beautiful, although a little shy around the two strangers. Erik was older than the rest of them. He had longish black hair which he tucked behind his ears. About the same height as Hiccup, he was a lot broader. He shook their hands with a strong grip.

"Welcome to Torstein," Erik declared enthusiastically to the pair.

Hiccup responded. "Thank you. We really appreciate you helping us out like this." Astrid nodded in agreeance.

Chief Hersker waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Besides, you may end up helping us out if your blacksmithing skills are any good," he laughed whole-heartedly.

Astrid grinned and gave an adoring glance at her partner. "Oh, he's good alright. But much too humble to boast," she teased lightly.

Hiccup blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, a little abashed. "Hopefully I'm up to par with your expectations," he told them modestly.

"We'll soon find out," promised the Chief. "I'll take you to meet Vard, our blacksmith, shortly. And Astrid, I hear Brenda has asked you to help her. Will that be alright?" he asked.

Astrid nodded and directed a mischievous grin at Hiccup. "That will be fine. I've had plenty of experience patching this one up over the years," she said, indicating to an embarrassed Hiccup. "He always manages to get into trouble."

Hiccup grumbled as the others chuckled, "I don't get into _that_ much trouble," he protested.

Erik pointed to his metal leg. "Is that the result of one of those times," he asked curiously.

Astrid nodded. "Got too close to a dragon," she told them seriously.

"It wasn't as if I could have prevented it," he muttered. "Besides, you were there too."

"Luckily for you. I had to drag you home," she reminded him.

He smiled at her with fondness and appreciation. "Something I'll always be grateful for."

The Chief and his family watched the two banter between each other, noting the familiar way they glanced at each other, and the caring way they spoke.

"Are you two married?" the Chief asked.

Hiccup and Astrid immediately blushed. "Ah….no, we're not," replied Hiccup.

"Are you engaged?" came the next question.

Astrid shook her head. "We're very good friends," she told them, taking Hiccup's hand in hers, her loving gaze giving the rest of the story to their observers.

"Ahhh…." grinned the Chief knowingly.

What the Chief also saw, but Astrid and Hiccup hadn't, was how his daughter Tula stared at the auburn haired youth with great interest. He also saw Erik doing the same to the beautiful blonde shield maiden. He said nothing for now.

The young couple before him had already told him they were trying to head back home after suffering some adversity. He didn't know who they were, so he had no interest in cultivating an impossible friendship with the newcomers. He was willing to help them, but how much was dependent on them.

Winter was already spreading it's cold fingers throughout the area, and he fully expected the first snow storm to appear any day now. He knew how precious the passing time was, and how difficult travelling in the colder weather could be. He wasn't sure if the pair were willing to risk such conditions, and he didn't know if he wanted to offer them the chance to winter with them. Time would tell.

-oOo-

A few days later, the Chief had a whole new perspective on the pair. Despite both Hiccup and Astrid still not being well enough to last a full day at work, both had done more than the older man thought possible. Hiccup had taken to the forge and to old Vard like a natural, slotting himself into that environment easily. The works he had created in that short amount of time were to be considered amazing.

Vard had been the only blacksmith for so long now, but the old man was definitely slipping. None of the youngsters in the village had shown any interest in working with the cantankerous old blacksmith, finding it too difficult to live under his rule.

Hiccup on the other hand, had deflected all of the old blacksmith's complaints and grumbling with good humor and respect, adjusting to Vard's routine and not forcing his own. Even if Hiccup's superiority behind the hammer had immediately been obvious, he had still listened carefully and humbly to Vard's instructions, to the point where he had earned the old man's grudging respect. Something that had really shocked Chief Hersker. He had never seen Vard give a young person any kind of acceptance before. And he'd been chief a long time.

Astrid had also surpassed all his expectations, helping Brenda whenever she could with keeping the occupants of Torstein Village healthy. On top of that, she had stopped one day, to correct a young boy's grip as he practiced his sword fighting and somehow ended up with an impromptu class of youngsters, all clamoring for her to teach them more of the fine art of offense and defense.

Chief Hersker was beginning to see the wisdom in keeping this pair in the village a little longer...a whole winters worth of longer. He already had a plan. He merely needed to find them to discuss it with them.

"Tula…Erik…have you seen Hiccup and Astrid?" he asked, as the pair crossed the village centre.

Tula paused and shook her head. "No…this is the time of day they both disappear," she told her father. Erik stopped behind her.

"What?" demanded Hersker.

Erik confirmed it. "Doesn't matter what they're doing, they both leave for the forest at this time of day."

Tula added, "Wherever they go, it must be a long way. They both come back very exhausted."

"Hmmm…" wondered the Chief. What could two strangers be doing every day that demanded so much from them.

Erik asked him, "They'll be back in a few minutes. Do you want us to bring them to you?"

"Please," responded Hersker. "Send them to the house."

And with that he sauntered up to his home with a confident stride.

-oOo-

Meanwhile, Astrid was giving Stormfly a massive cuddle and a loving scratch under the chin. "I know you like that…makes you feel good, doesn't it girl."

Hiccup was standing beside her, giving his own dragon some attention. He turned to Astrid with a lop-sided grin.

"That looks like fun," he began, indicating to the chin scratching that Stormfly was obviously enjoying. "Got any for me?" he teased, cocking his head sideways to expose his stubbled chin, and pointing to his jaw.

Astrid laughed and willingly complied, wiggling her fingers at him as she approached before scratching under his rough chin. Hiccup grinned and closed his eyes in pretend bliss. Toothless rolled his eyes at their antics and left to frolic with Stormfly.

"Mmm...gooooood," Hiccup drawled, making Astrid laugh again. She stopped scratching and his eyes snapped open. "Why did you stop?" he asked in a teasing tone. "That's actually pretty good. No wonder the dragons like it so much."

"Okay then... your turn," she told him, directing his attention to her proffered neck.

Hiccup's gaze took in the smooth skin of her throat. His expression went from one of laughter to one of desire. Moving closer, he raised his hand. But instead of light hearted scratching, he gently stroked the skin instead drawing a quiet gasp from her. The moment quickly turned sensuous when he replaced his fingers with his lips.

"Hiccup," she whispered lowly, melting into his touch. His mouth shifted to hers, seeking her soft lips. She welcomed him, drawing him closer. The heat between them intensified, till they finally drew apart, faces flushed and eyes smoldering. Hiccup tucked her into his chest, still breathing a little heavier and held her tight.

"Okay...I have to agree, that was pretty special," she teased lightly, deflecting the intensity of the moment.

Hiccup chuckled. "The dragons won't be getting any of _that_ ," he answered, earning himself a slap to the chest.

The two were silent for a few moments, each to their own thoughts.

"Hiccup...we are going home...aren't we?" Astrid asked, her voice trembling slightly.

He kissed her temple briefly. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

She shifted. "We still don't even know where we are for starters. Only that it will be a long trip back. And I don't think either of us will be up to the flight...especially if winter hits while we are travelling."

He frowned, releasing her and sitting on a log. She sat beside him. "I'm very much aware of all your concerns," he started. "I don't really have the easy answers yet. We can only focus on getting our health back quickly, and collecting supplies for now. If possible, we'll try to leave before the snow starts. But if we don't, then we'll be forced to stay and that's just not going to work with the dragons. They usually find somewhere warm for the winter. We can't leave them in the snow without protection."

Astrid chewed her lip and nodded. "What about sending a message home?" she asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "Toothless and Stormfly are the only dragons who know where Berk is. The others are getting ready to leave, which makes me think the snow will start any day now. We'll have to hurry if we want to leave before then. All the merchants and travelers will be docked for the season too. At this stage, the only way to get a message home is with ourselves."

She frowned. Hiccup covered her hand with his. "I know you're worried about everybody back home. I am too. And they will be really concerned about what's happened to us. But at the moment there's not a lot we can do about it...except get home as fast as possible."

Astrid stood up with determination in her eyes. "Let's get back then, we've got work to do if we're going to earn enough for supplies."

Hiccup stood with her. "Okay. Bye Toothless. Bye Stormfly. We'll be back tomorrow, same time," he told the nuzzling dragons, giving them both rubs.

The Night Fury crooned in concern. "It's alright Toothless. Not much longer, bud."

After reassuring the dragons a little more, Hiccup and Astrid left for the long walk back to the village.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for all your support and kind words of advice. I need to warn you I'm about to run out of prepared chapters, so the updates will take a little longer after this. Also, this is a fairly lengthy saga so don't go expecting it to finish anytime soon. I've never had any creative writing training, and didn't actually do very well at English in school, so I'm happy to PM anyone who wants to redirect me in creating an interesting story. I just write want I want to read but I'm keen to learn and improve. That said...let's move on!**

* * *

It was the next morning before Chief Hersker was able to catch up with Hiccup and Astrid at Brenda's house. They were still wearing their ratty clothes, preferring to put other necessities first such as camping gear and fully operational saddlery, but Brenda had kindly provided them with some old coats to keep them warm. The young couple were very glad for it in the frigid temperatures.

Especially today. A light dusting of snow had fallen overnight, along with Hiccup and Astrid's hopes.

They were downing a chunky bowl of stew that Brenda had left for them early that morning, when the Chief strolled into the warm cabin.

"Morning!" he called out cheerfully to the two.

"Morning Chief," they both returned.

Astrid added, "Brenda has stepped out to see the young Guttog lad. He's fallen ill overnight."

The Chief nodded. "Aye, she told me. No, it was you two I came to see."

Hiccup sat up in surprise, "Us, sir? Okay...uh, what can we help you with?"

Hersker took out a chair to sit on, and faced the two young people with a serious expression.

"I have a proposition for you," he declared. "As you may have noticed, the snow has already started."

Hiccup and Astrid stared glumly at the floor.

"I know you wanted to be gone by the first snow, but that ship has already sailed. I also know you are not yet ready to travel. Both of you are still too unwell to survive out there. You wouldn't last a week."

Hiccup winced at the blunt words, "Thank you for summing that up," he said dryly.

"No problems. Now Hiccup, I have to say I've never seen old Vard willing to work with anyone before, but he's willing to work with you. And Astrid... I've been very impressed with how hard you have worked, especially with the youngsters. They all love you, you know," continued Hersker.

Hiccup nodded solemnly. "Thank you for that. We appreciate the chance you've given us."

The Chief held his hand up to stop him. "Hold on...I want to offer you something that will be beneficial to all of us..."

He paused as Astrid and Hiccup glanced at each other in confusion.

"Why don't you two stay with us over winter? We'll make sure you have everything you need plus we'll help you with supplies and a boat for the trip home when the spring comes," he added quickly as he saw the worried looks on both their faces at the idea of staying even longer.

Hiccup spoke up. "With all due respect, sir, we appreciate the offer, but we've been away from home for a long time. Our families have no idea what happened to us, and they'll be worried sick about us. I know we're not well yet, but we're both fighters. We'll figure out a way to get home. We just need some more supplies. As soon as we have those, we could leave.

Hersker shook his head in reluctant admiration. "I know you're tough...you've made it this far, haven't you? But you are still nothing more than skin and bones right now. Vard tells me you almost collapsed in the forge yesterday." He pointed at Hiccup.

"And you..." he turned on Astrid next. "I can see your technique in the ring is very good. But you don't have the stamina to pull off a fight with a ten year old child." He stood up to leave. "At least think about it," he suggested mildly.

Hiccup could only nod. "Thank you sir. We will."

-oOo-

Stoick was feeling grumpy. After a week of non-stop flying with the four teenagers, his body was cramped and sore and so was his mind. He felt ready to pop some heads, and he wondered yet again, how Hiccup managed to chief this lot on his own.

He knew Hiccup had the potential to be a great Chief…he just needed to believe in himself a little more. Stoick had been training Hiccup for a while now, believing that when he finally did retire, he would be leaving Berk in capable hands. And Hiccup's time leading the small team of six on Dragon's Edge had only heightened the learning curve. His boy was strong, capable and smart as a tack. Despite the lad's untypical Viking appearance, Stoick couldn't be more proud of his son.

But every Chief required a strong support. For Hiccup, his support came from Astrid. She had proven herself as a warrior time and time again with her courage and determination. The two worked so well together, a great team. Every time they came back from the Edge, Stoick could see the change in both of them as they matured, reasoned, learned…and drew closer.

Stoick was no fool. He could see Astrid would be a fine Second in Command…and also Hiccup's future wife. This was a marriage he was looking forward to. As a Chief, he needed to ensure the next ruler was safe and ready. As a father, he needed his son home.

Now all he had to do was find them.

Fishlegs yelled something at him, bringing Stoick out of his reverie. Focusing ahead on what the husky lad was pointing at, Stoick sighed in relief. Finally. They had reached the port town where Johann had purchased the sword that Hiccup made. He hoped to find some answers here. The bitter cold was already causing problems for the dragon riders, and he knew they wouldn't have much time to find Hiccup and Astrid before having to return home.

Turning in his saddle, he indicated to the teens to land on a site just outside of the town. He didn't want to cause too much of a commotion straight away.

Stoick spotted the twins head-butting each other on their dragon and rolled his eyes. Okay…not too much of a dragon commotion. The twins on the other hand… were a whole other story.

Landing in the area they had selected, the riders were all keen to dismount after many hours of riding on dragon back. Groaning and stretching out their stiff muscles, the teens were soon keen for adventure.

Snotlout cracked his knuckles. "Let's go find this guy and force him to tell us where Hiccup is," he suggested with an eager grin.

The twins agreed, cackling and fist bumping each other. "We'll get Barf and Belch to blow him up if he doesn't want to talk," said Ruffnut, grinning evilly.

Stoick frowned, then huffed. "We're only going in to find out who sold Hiccup's sword to him….and that's all," he reminded them gruffly.

Snotlout's face fell. "Aww…I thought we were going to have some fun after all that riding," he whined.

Stoick cracked his neck as he sought to maintain control.

Fishlegs interrupted, "Shh…we want to find Hiccup and Astrid. Remember?"

Snotlout grumbled. "Of course I remember. I want to find them too. But we're awesome dragon riders and blowing things up is what we do best." The twins nodded their agreement.

Stoick tried to settle them down. "I have no doubt there will be plenty of that at some stage…just not right now."

The twins and Snotlout reluctantly decided to work with that statement, earning a relieved sigh from their Chief as he headed purposefully into town, teens in tow.

Stoick approached a man coming out of a mead hall. "Excuse me sir," he rumbled. "I'm looking for the owner of a gambling house."

The other man took a quick glance at the imposing figure of Stoick the Vast, and decided to hightail it out of there. Stoick was left flabbergasted at the response. "What was that all about?" he scratched his head.

"Probably something to do with you looking like you're about to tear down walls," said Tuffnut nonchalantly. "You know…start a turf war," he added.

Stoick was perplexed. "Why would I want to start a turf war? I only want information," he replied.

"Yeah, you know that…and we know that…but you don't look like that," said Ruffnut.

"Nonsense," the Chief huffed, rolling forward to ask another man. After about the tenth reaction in exactly the same way, Stoick reluctantly decided he had better change tactics.

"Okay…you two," he pointed at the twins. "Go find this guy, then come straight back here," he ordered.

"Yessss," said the twins as they high-fived each other. "Time to party. Don't worry Chief, we're expert detectives. We're on the case," they told him before they raced off into town.

Stoick went to shout a warning, but then decided not to bother. They were already gone.

Snotlout decided he didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so he dragged Fishlegs with him into another establishment, pretending to be rich and looking to gamble. He was soon thrown out, landing on his face. He grumbled as he picked himself up, Fishlegs sauntering out behind him, shaking his head.

It took another hour or so, but eventually the twins came back, the massive grins on their face giving them away. "We found the guy, Chief," they crowed happily. "He's this way."

The twins lead Stoick and the rest of the teens to a large, seedy looking building. The doors were currently shut as it was daytime. Most of their trading was done in the evenings when patrons were a lot looser with their gold coins.

Stoick pounded on the door. "Wake up!" he bellowed. "I need to talk with the owner."

A small window slid open on the door, revealing a pair of eyes and a nose. "Come back tonight for business hours," then slammed shut.

Stoick's frustration began to boil. He pounded on the door again. "I'm not here for gambling," he shouted. "I want to see the owner about a sword."

The small window slid open again. "Look…grudge matches are not held here. If you have a complaint, you can direct it to our complaints department." And the door slid shut again.

Stoick was now seeing red. He turned to the teens behind him. "Follow my lead," he told them.

Backing up a few paces, he pulled out his axe, expertly swinging it between his hands. Roaring his battle cry, he charged the heavy door with his axe held high, splintering the lock and smashing it open. The teens needed no further instructions and quickly flowed into the building behind their Chief. The guard on the other side was very surprised, his mouth hanging open at the unexpected intruders. He scrambled to pull out his weapon and rebuff the Vikings, but the twins were all over him, pinning him back against a post.

Stoick loomed over him with an angry expression. He growled, "Now where is the owner? Think carefully before you answer," he warned.

"Ummm….yes, sir…." the guard stammered. "He's….."

"….right here," another voice interrupted coldly. "I am Gamiel, the owner of this business. May I ask why you have so rudely broken into my establishment?"

Tuffnut sidled over, poking the man in the chest. "We'll ask the questions round here, if you don't mind."

Ruffnut came over to Gamiel's other side and poked the confused man in the ribs. "Yeah, we'll ask the questions."

Gamiel rose an eyebrow in disbelief, glancing between the two.

"Like, where were you on the night of Tuesday, three weeks and two days ago," questioned Tuff.

Snotlout added, "Dude, that would have been a Friday."

"Okay...where were you Friday night, three weeks and four days ago?"

Stoick face palmed when Gamiel frowned. "And what does that have to do with a sword?"

Tuff gave him a flat look. "Nothing...that's when my tuna fish sandwich disappeared."

Stoick interrupted sternly. "Thanks Tuff...I'll take it from here."

Gamiel seemed almost relieved to be dealing with the seven foot massive Viking over the lean madness of the twins.

Stoick spoke to the man in a voice that commanded attention. "You sold this sword to Johann. Can you tell me who gave it to you?" he asked, bringing Hiccup's creation forward for inspection.

Gamiel took the sword and checked it over thoroughly.

"I remember the sword. I haven't had too many of this caliber through here lately. But as for the name of the man who left it here as payment for his debts...I can't recall," he said.

At this, Snotlout and the twins pressed forward, their fierce countenance meant to frighten the man into loosening his tongue.

Gamiel gave them an unimpressed stare. "Really? You want to go down that road?" he asked drily. "Did you happen to notice where you were when you arrived? This is a port town...many sailors come to my business thinking they will make easy money. Instead they lose it all, then sail away...never to set foot on these shores again for a long time. I'm not going to remember every one of them, am I?" he said.

Stoick's face fell. "So you don't know where it came from?" he asked flatly.

Gamiel smiled thinly. "I didn't say that...I do keep records...which I was going to offer to you before being so rudely interrupted," he said with an obvious glare towards the three lunkheads who appeared completely unfazed.

Fishlegs, who had been standing quietly at the back the whole time, spoke up. "You have records? What kind of records? Would they give us more information?" he asked eagerly.

Gamiel grinned at the lad's fresh faced enthusiasm.

"Ahhh...someone who understands the value of diplomacy and organization," he said.

The remark went straight over the twins and Snotlout's heads, who shuddered instead.

Stoick sighed when Snotlout groaned in disgust, "Reading, writing...urghh..."

Gamiel ignored him and pointedly turned to Stoick and Fishlegs, "Come with me...but leave those three here."

"Gladly," muttered Stoick as the two bulky men followed Gamiel to his office.

A few minutes later, they had the name of the sailor and of his ship. Not that it made any difference. Both had sailed a long time ago. Gamiel had already informed them the sword had not been created in his town, after Stoick had told him the reason for their visit.

"Do you know where the ship had come from?" asked Fishlegs. "Maybe we can trace his path backwards?"

"Hmm...I do believe it was Gunnart. A few days sail from here." Gamiel showed them his map and the location of the town they were after.

"Got it!" said Fishlegs excitedly, as he consulted his own map. "Chief...we can be there in a few hours...er...days," he stumbled as they both noticed the suspicious look Gamiel was giving them at his slip up.

Stoick stood up hastily. "Right, right. Well, we'd best be off then. Er...sorry about the damage to your door," he apologized.

Gamiel waved his hand dismissively. "Happens often enough. Next time you come through this way...make an appointment first...and keep those twins away."

Stoick chuckled, "I will. Thank you for your time. I appreciate your help." He left, taking all four teens with him.

It wasn't long before all were safely seated on their dragons, heading for the town of Gunnart.

-oOo-

As before, Stoick led the teenagers towards a secluded area outside of town. They'd made sure to keep a low profile on the approach to the town. If Hiccup and Astrid were here, it was because they were delivered by a dragon hunting ship...presumably into a town where hunters were welcomed. They'd already seen evidence of discarded trapping equipment. They had also noticed a patch on the outskirts of town that had distinctive dragon like scorch marks.

After making sure their dragons were well hidden, Stoick led the others into town. Straight away, they could see Gunnart was a violent place to live, the suspicious glares they were receiving enough to warn them all to be careful. Well...some of them. The twins were itching to get involved into a fight, while Snotlout strutted ahead as if he owned the place. Fishlegs mainly stayed slightly cowered behind the huge bulk of his Chief.

"How will we know where to go?" he asked Stoick timidly.

"We'll go where any information can be found...in the mead hall," said Stoick grimly, aiming for the closest one. It was late in the afternoon, and they were already open for business.

Despite Stoick's efforts to enter quietly, the teens burst through the doors in a noisy and aggressive fashion.

"Right! Listen up all you low-life maggots," Snotlout shouted to the crowd, "We're looking for our friends Hiccup and Astrid. Tell us where they are, and we won't have to hurt you."

There was a moment's silence as all eyes turned to the newcomers...then turned away in total indifference.

"Hey!" yelled Snotlout indignantly, before his voice was muffled by a hand slapped over his mouth. "Mmph!"

"Shhh!" hissed Fishlegs in his ear. "This is not the way to do it!"

"Oh yeah? And who told you?" challenged Snotlout.

"Chief Stoick did," was the answer.

"Oh yeah? And who told him?" replied Snotlout, forgetting to engage his brain before opening his mouth.

The twins sniggered as Fishlegs face palmed, and Stoick's angry scowl suddenly loomed in front of him.

"Ohh..."

Stoick waved Fishlegs forward. He timidly approached the counter, where the bar man scowled at him. "What's your poison?" he asked gruffly.

"Poison? I don't want poison," said Fishlegs beginning to panic.

The man rolled his eyes. "What do you want to drink?"

"Oh...uh, I don't want a drink. I'm after a blacksmith," Fishlegs nervously told the man. "Umm, a blacksmith named Hiccup?" he asked.

The sound of something clattering to the ground behind the barman could be heard. The man turned to an unseen person, "Pick that up! I'm not paying you to make a mess," he growled. Turning back to Fishlegs the barman told him gruffly. "No blacksmith here except Overbite. Are you going to buy a drink or not?" The man gave Fishlegs such a menacing stare that the bulky teen yelped.

"Uh, no...I'll leave now, shall I?" he said, before turning to flee out the door, taking the others with him. They walked around to the side of the building, intending to stay out of earshot of anybody with ill intent.

"Well?" rumbled Stoick. "What did he say?"

Fishlegs shook his head. "He said they had no blacksmith except for someone named Overbite...I think."

Snotlout snorted. "Overbite? What kind of name is that?"

Ruffnut leaned towards her brother. "Says the man named after the effects of a bad cold." Tuff sniggered.

Stoick frowned, ignoring the comments. "Somebody has to know something about Hiccup and Astrid. We'll start with this blacksmith. If Hiccup made that sword here, that's where it would have happened."

"He won't tell you anything," came a new voice.

Stoick and the riders all swung around to find a young lad standing in the alley behind them.

"Excuse me? Who are you?" asked Stoick, eyeing off the smallish boy. He wore dirty and ragged clothes over his slim frame, his unkempt blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes.

"My name's Trygve," he told them bravely. His eyes kept casting furtively back towards the side door where he had obviously exited without permission.

Stoick kneeled in front of him, placing a giant hand gently on the bony shoulder. "Do you know Hiccup and Astrid?" he asked.

Trygve nodded.

The whole gang sucked their breath in. Finally! A positive result!

"Are they here?" Stoick asked.

The boy shook his head.

"What? Where are they?" demanded Snotlout, pushing in closer to the wide-eyed lad, and making him shrink back in fear.

"Woah...back up hot shot," said Ruffnut, pushing the sturdy man backwards. "Give the kid a chance before you threaten to remove his limbs."

The boy would have likely run there and then, but Stoick's hand kept him firmly planted.

Stoick glared at Snotlout before turning a kind eye to Trygve. "Were they here? Can you tell us what happened," he asked gently.

Trygve kept a wild eye on the glowering black haired teen as he nodded. "Dragon hunters captured them," he began, turning his attention back to Stoick. "They were sold as slaves."

Stoick's eyes narrowed in rage at this news, and his hand accidentally tightened its grip on the boy's shoulder. A muffled cry of pain brought his thoughts back. "Sorry lad. Please...tell us what happened to them."

Trygve took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Hiccup was working for the blacksmith and Astrid was working for the washerwoman. Her name is Squinty. But about two weeks ago, they escaped."

Stoick was both relieved and frustrated to hear this news. Relieved that the pair were alive and free. Frustrated that they had missed them and were still no closer to finding them.

"How did they escape?" Fishlegs asked, full of curiosity.

Trygve filled them in with the rest of the story, his voice filled with awe as he recollected the scene. "It was amazing! Hiccup set his sword on fire...I don't know how...and he sent them all running when anybody tried to catch them. Then he roared and Toothless and Stormfly came out, roaring and shooting flames everywhere...you should have seen it...Overbite tried to throw a mace at Hiccup but all the other dragons came out blasted it away. People were yelling 'Dragon Lord' and panicking. Hiccup tried to tell them about dragons, but nobody would listen, so he was like 'If you refuse to listen, you will pay the price'. Then the dragons blasted everything...it was incredible...then Hiccup and Astrid flew away," he finished simply.

Snotlout snorted. "Typical. He's always has to be so dramatic."

The twins complained, "Awww, we missed out on all the fun."

"Wait a moment," said Fishlegs after listening intently to what the boy had to say. "Do you know Toothless and Stormfly?"

The boy nodded. "I was on the dragon hunter's ship too. I used to be frightened of the dragons, and the hunters made me feed them every day. But Hiccup and Astrid told me that dragons are gentle and kind. He let me touch Toothless and Stormfly, and they were really nice! When the ship arrived in town, they tried to escape but it didn't work. Then I came back to find them, and I got caught too. I never saw them again until that last day. But I knew where they were because Overbite and Squinty's sons would come into the mead hall and complain about them."

Stoick jolted at the realisation that this boy was a slave too, just like Hiccup and Astrid had been.

"Do you have any family here?" he asked gently.

The boy's face fell. He shook his head. "No sir. I was taken from my parents about a year ago. I haven't seen them since."

"That's terrible," said Fishlegs loudly. "Chief, what can we do? We can't leave this boy here."

Stoick nodded somberly. "I agree... Lad, do you want to come with us? We can take you home if you like."

Trygve shook with the sudden emotions wracking his tiny body. His lower lip trembled and his eyes glistened, "Do ...do you mean that?" he whispered.

"Of course, son. Do you have anything to collect before we go?"

Trygve shook his head. "No...nothing."

Stoick stood up. "Shall we go then?"

Trygve nodded.

They had already moved away and were on their way back to the dragons when shouting could be heard behind them. The barman was yelling for Trygve but the lad held his head high, and continued to walk confidently with his new friends. He wasn't going to be beaten and cowed anymore.

He was free.

-oOo-

Later that same evening, Trygve was feeling overawed again. Stoick and the other dragon riders had introduced him to each of their dragons and now he was standing in the midst of all these curious beasts who were nudging him.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" said Fishlegs softly. He was giving Meatlug a rubdown and the round dragon was lapping up all the affection.

Trygve could only nod as Barf and Belch competed with each other for a pat from the newcomer.

"Hey Fishface…don't all the dragons move away for the winter?" asked Snotlout suddenly.

"Of course," said Fishlegs. "Everybody knows that."

"Even I know that. Do you need to go back to dragon school?" teased Tuffnut.

"No," snapped Snotlout. He pointed up into the twilight. "But somebody had better teach that dragon."

They all looked up to see a dragon shape flapping towards them.

"What in the world…." said Fishlegs, his voice trailing off in surprise.

They watched as the shape drew closer, till it finally landed a little outside of their circle.

Tuffnut was about to approach it when….

"Snapper!" cried Trygve, running to give the Snafflefang a hug. "You came back for me! I missed you so much, boy."

The others were all dumbfounded at the sight.

"This is _your_ dragon?" asked the Chief in shock.

Trygve turned to nod shyly at them, all the while keeping close contact with the beast who was closely inspecting the boy.

"How did you…" started Snotlout, not able to finish his sentence.

"Hiccup helped me…on the ship," Trygve told them, still shy.

Stoick smiled. "Of course he did." It was the most obvious answer.

"Cool!" yelled the twins. "So you can ride a dragon too!"

The boy shook his head. "Hiccup told me about it, but we were captured before I could learn."

The size of the twins grins should have been illegal. "Well, we can teach you instead," they crowed joyfully.

Fishlegs, Snotlout and the Chief all face palmed. "This…is going to be painful," muttered Stoick.

-oOo-

Early the next morning, an ashen faced Trygve was hanging on grimly to the back of his Snafflefang, attempting to keep the scream of pure terror from ripping out of his throat as the twins argued over the finer 'techniques' of flying. They were flying close to the shoreline near their camp, over the open ocean.

Snotlout yelled at them, "You're teaching him all wrong. He needs to show Snapper who's boss."

At this statement, Hookfang narrowed his eyes and growled a warning to his rider.

Snotlout knew what was coming. "No Hooky! Noooo," he cried when his dragon let him know his displeasure by setting his pants on fire.

Trygve was astonished. He momentarily forgot his fear while he watched Snotlout leap off Hookfang into the water, splashing down into the ocean. Hookfang dived down after him, grabbing the sodden man out of the water, and flipping him back into the saddle.

"Wow!"

"Painful to watch, isn't it?" said Fishlegs, flying serenely beside Trygve.

The boy nodded, then went back to gripping tightly to the Snafflefang.

Fishlegs offered his words of advice, "Relax a little, Trygve. Snapper won't let you fall. Trust him. Lean forward and grip with your knees, and you'll learn to keep your balance."

Trygve nodded before focusing on his knees, clenching tightly around the Snafflefang's upper back.

"That's it," encouraged Fishlegs. "Now relax your shoulders back. You're all tightly hunched forward."

Trygve forced his shoulders to drop down. He breathed in and out slowly, attempting to steady his nerves.

"I can do this," he whispered to himself with a frown..

Snapper gave a soft growl in encouragement, his wings flapping steadily. Trygve found himself slipping to one side but before he had time to panic, Snapper tilted in the opposite direction, helping him to reseat himself.

"See? He knew before you were slipping before you did, and he helped you," said Fishlegs.

Trygve was astonished. It took him a moment to think about it, then a slow smile spread across his face. That little demonstration helped him to realise how intelligent Snapper was, and just how in tune with him the young Snafflefang was. It gave him a little more confidence in his ability to _stay on_ while flying, and he relaxed. With this new outlook, he could now gaze around him, seeing the ground far below with a whole new perspective.

"This is great!" he shouted gleefully.

Stoick on the ground, heard the boy's exultations and smiled. He watched as the boy whooped and cheered, the other dragon riders joining in with him.

"Hiccup, look at what you have started," he smiled wistfully to himself.

He let the 'lesson' go on for a little longer, but he had a mission to complete and time was slipping by. He called them in.

-oOo-

Several hours later, Stoick and the teens were on dragon back again, but this time they were under hostile attack. Earlier, they had come into Gunnart to 'find' those responsible for holding Astrid and Hiccup as slaves and have a little 'chat'. Turns out they were met with a fair bit of resistance to that idea. Which the twins and Snotlout were quite happy about. Gave them plenty of reason to bring in their 'back up'...several loyal dragons who came roaring into town, ready to blast anyone who stood in the way between them and their riders. Of course, this brought about extra attention from the rest of the townsfolk, who still remembered quite vividly another recent altercation between dragon riders and the village.

The people were very keen to have them leave, but the twins didn't want to go without leaving a 'present'...a ring of green gas lit on fire, exploding in a fiery ball of flame causing many to leap backwards with singed brows and reddened faces. Several bolas and nets were hastily flung towards the trouble makers, but the gang expertly dodged the missiles, having evaded many of these in their time on the Edge.

Stoick simply rammed through it all, keeping Trygve close behind him. The young lad's eyes were wider than dinner plates as he watched the gang go through their moves, scattering Vikings in every direction as they purposely charged through the crowd, releasing green gas as they went. When the familiar 'spark, spark' sound of the lighting head was heard, bodies dived to the ground, covering their heads with their arms.

The twins and Snotlout were relentless in their attacks, till finally the combined cries of the crowd could be heard over the explosions, " _Please leave_!"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut sniggered at those begging them to stop, and Snotlout was roaring with laughter. Fishlegs merely gave a satisfied smirk, and Stoick pulled his Rumblehorn up into a holding pattern over the town.

He spoke loudly with his deep voice, so that all present could hear his words.

"I am the Chief of Berk. Your actions have proved you are enemies of my tribe. My son Hiccup and his friend Astrid were kept captive by your people as slaves. He is a peaceful man...and you tried to destroy him and his dragons. Know this...if we hear of any more slaves, or trapped dragons here in this town, we will come back to destroy you all."

The fierce glare that Stoick held was visible to many, letting them know he had not spoken idle words.

The crowd promised to not have slaves or trapped dragons, begging Stoick and his warriors to leave. Stoick nodded, satisfied he had been heard. He indicated to his waiting riders to go. The others followed, even if Ruffnut and Tuffnut couldn't resist creating a final fire ball. Stoick could only sigh and shake his head.

When the small crew were far enough away from Gunnart, Stoick turned towards Fishlegs. His heart was heavy at not being able to find the pair he was after, but at least he could draw comfort from the knowledge Hiccup and Astrid were still alive and still flying. But now Stoick had a new mission...returning the young lad Trygve to his family at Fremar Village.

"Which direction are we aiming for?" he asked.

"South, south-east," was the answer.

"How long will it take to get there?"

"By my estimates, about two days, sir."

Stoick nodded and settled in for the long hours of flight time ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

Two days later, Stoick was glad to see the small, but close knit island community of Fremar. Slave traders had stolen several of their young men, causing a devastating blow. Particularly for a young family missing their eldest son.

Trygve leaned forward eagerly over Snapper's thick neck. It was slightly disconcerting to see his home from the air, but still exciting. They were close enough to see people running to prepare themselves against the approaching flock of dragons. In the midst of those, the young lad recognized his parents.

"MUM, DAD! IT'S ME...TRYGVE," he screamed loudly, waving his arm so madly in the air Snapper was concerned the boy would fall.

His parents stopped in the middle of scooping up their youngest child, and stared towards the flying dragons in complete shock and disbelief. There, riding a _dragon_...was their long lost son, Trygve. The one they had given up as dead.

"Trygve? TRYGVE!" they yelled up at him in excitement with a healthy dose of fear thrown in at the fact he was on a _dragon_.

Stoick's voice boomed over the hesitant crowd. "We mean you no harm. We are only returning your lost son."

They were simple farming folk and the idea of people flying dragons was a very foreign concept. They could see all the riders, heard the declaration, and even recognized one of their own. But how to respond to this was downright confusing. Still, they lowered their weapons and waited.

Stoick was certain there would be no attacks...unless the twins or Snotlout did something stupid. He turned to them, "Best behavior you lot. Don't scare anybody," he warned with a heavy frown towards the main perpetrators.

Ruff and Tuff appeared slightly miffed at the blatant suggestion, but nodded their agreement. There are times when it is best to not anger the Chief. Besides, these were Trygve's people. They were almost as keen to meet up with them as their young friend was.

With a wave of his hand, Stoick indicated for them all to land in the centre of the village. Trygve wasted no time in sliding off his dragon and racing towards his joyful parents, the tears flowing freely as the little family reunited. Those watching the highly emotional scene couldn't help a little tear of their own, including a misty eyed Snotlout.

Ruff saw him wipe the wetness away. "Are you crying?" she asked with a crafty snigger.

"No...I got dust in my eye, that's all. Dust," he growled back, daring her to make anything out of it.

Tuffnut didn't care. He was openly bawling. "Oh, to see the impossible happen. A family torn asunder has been brought back together...and in the most wonderful way...on the backs of dragons," he said dramatically.

While Stoick had to roll his eyes at the theatrics, he couldn't help but agree.

A portly man approached. "Welcome strangers. I am Chief of Fremar. I trust you come in peace?" he asked with a hint of trepidation.

Stoick dismounted and approached the man with his hand held out in greeting. The other man shook it confidently.

"Sorry for dropping in unannounced," Stoick apologized. "We're on our way home after trying to locate my own son and his girlfriend. We were too late to find them, but we stumbled across the lad instead. He knew my son and helped us, so we rescued him from slavery."

The Chief nodded at Stoick's words, not surprised about the fate of one of his own. The two leaders continued to discuss the situation while the rest of the crew stood idly beside their dragons. Fishlegs noted the curiosity of several youngsters staring at them and their dragons with big round eyes, their mouths hanging open in awe. A child about five years old, was gaping at them from behind his mother's skirts.

Fishlegs smiled at him. "Do you want to come and give them a pat?' he asked kindly.

The little boy's eyes opened even wider.

Fishlegs gave Meatlug an affectionate rub, the Gronkle leaning into his touch with a broad draconic grin, her tongue lolling sideways. The young boy stared longingly at the two of them.

"It's okay. She won't hurt you," reassured Fishlegs to the boy and his mother.

"Can I mummy?" asked the boy to his mother. She gave an uncertain smile, but took his hand. "Let's both go, shall we?" she said courageously. The little boy sported such a massively wide grin, his cheeks surely must have been hurting him as the two slowly edged closer to the excited dragon and her rider. They placed their hands on the warm hide and were overjoyed at the enthusiastic response they received from Meatlug. She gave the young boy a tremendous lick up the side of his face, causing him to giggle in such an infectious manner that other children...and some adults...were soon queuing up to give some attention to all the eager dragons.

Snotlout could be heard boasting about the credentials of his Monstrous Nightmare, while the twins were offering to demonstrate the awesome explosive abilities of the Zippleback. Meatlug was licking any child within tongue range, while the Rumblehorn stood sedately behind them all. His massive size made many think twice about approaching him, but even he was soon covered with inquisitive hands.

Snapper had ambled over to Trygve and the boy was introducing the Snafflefang to his parents and siblings. The younger children were staring at their big brother with complete awe in their eyes. Trygve puffed his chest out in pride, enjoying the adulation. After suffering so much in the last year, he was incredibly grateful to be able to come home. What made it so much more satisfying, was the way he had done it...returning in a dragon fueled glory with his own Snafflefang. All made possible by his friends Hiccup and Astrid, who had helped him to understand the loyal beasts were not the terrifying creatures he had been told about. His rescue by Chief Stoick and the dragon riders meant Trygve was finally able to return to his family. Something Hiccup and Astrid were yet to do. Thinking of them made him sad, but he had high hopes that they would find their way back soon.

Before he realised it, Stoick was standing before him and his parents.

"Thank you for all your help, lad," the Chief rumbled deep in his chest. "We'll be heading home now. Do you think you'll be okay?" he asked gently.

Trygve nodded before smiling shyly. "Thank you sir, for everything. I'm sorry I couldn't help with Hiccup and Astrid. I promise to teach others about dragons too...just like Hiccup did."

The boy's sincere words brought a lump to Stoick's throat, as he came to the sudden realisation that this was what Hiccup desired to do...bring peace between dragons and men. Looking over towards the dragons where many were still crowded around, all he could see were the happy faces of those keen to learn more about the beasts they had ever only known to fear.

Trygve's parents were speaking, so he turned back towards them.

"We can't thank you enough for bringing our boy back to us," they told him, their heart felt gratitude evident. "If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know."

Stoick nodded. "I appreciate that. I only ask if you hear anything about my children, please send a message to me at Berk," he requested. Winter was here, and he couldn't afford to search any longer. He had to bring the others safely home.

They agreed to do so, and Stoick walked back to his dragon, climbing into the saddle in one fluid motion. Motioning to the rest of the riders, he prepared to launch into the air. Amidst cheers and messages of good fortune, they took off towards the sky and home. The sight of the four dragons all with their wings extended and flapping strongly at the same time, struck quite an impressive note amongst the villagers.

Trygve leaned against his dragon, comforted by Snapper's warmth. He watched with everyone else till all he could see were specks in the sky, his thoughts far away with them. He had so many emotions running through him; glad to be home, sad that Hiccup and Astrid were still lost, and already missing being with the crazy gang after only three days. He was especially grateful to his dragon for staying with him as the others left.

Trygve's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a large group of youngsters crowding around the only remaining dragon and his rider...meaning him. He was surprised to find himself the object of their many questions, all wanting to gain favour with him. A grin grew widely on his lips as he adjusted to his new found status as the only 'dragon rider' left …with a bonded dragon.

-oOo-

Back in Torstein Village, Hiccup and Astrid were huddled together discussing feverishly about what steps to take next. Chief Hersker had approached them three days ago about staying for the winter, and at the time they had respectfully declined, still clinging to the hope they could leave before the snow fell. Right after that, the weather had turned with the first snowstorm of the season coming through, thickly covering everything in a blanket of white. The weather had since cleared, but now the teenagers were frantic about their dragons. Because of the snow, they hadn't been able to visit them. Even now, the melting ice made it hazardous to venture far beyond the town's borders.

"We'll get caught in the cold weather, and end up in all sorts of trouble. We need to stay," said Hiccup firmly.

"But what about Toothless and Stormfly? They can't live out in the snow all winter," Astrid argued.

"I know...but what can we do? Make a secret shelter in the woods? Neither of us are capable of that at the moment," said Hiccup forlornly, cursing his weakened frame. Even short bursts of flying were enough to exhaust him, and he knew Astrid wasn't much better. How would they ever manage the long hours of flying required to get home?

"What about Tula and Erik? We get on fine with them, they've become friends to us. What if we told them about the dragons? Maybe they would agree to help us build a shelter?" suggested Astrid desperately.

Hiccup thought about it. It was a crazy idea, given the 'dragon hunting' status those in the village liked to boast about. They really only chased the ones that got too close to their little town, but still, the stories had Hiccup concerned about the safety of a certain two dragons they knew well. But at this stage, he simply could not come up with a better plan.

"Okay," he said slowly. "Let's do it."

Astrid leapt on him and gave him a massive hug.

-oOo-

That afternoon, Hiccup and Astrid approached the Chief's daughter and nephew. The serious expression the two newcomers held, were enough to make Tula and Erik stop and pause.

"Something wrong?" Erik asked.

"Can you keep a secret?" Hiccup asked in a somber tone.

"Ha! I knew it!" crowed Tula. "You're hiding something in the woods, aren't you?"

Astrid raised an eyebrow at the outburst. "Well, duh. We're not doing it for our health. Although we didn't know you'd seen us."

Tula rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease. Nothing new happens in this town, so when two strangers wander in and collapse right in front of us, of course we're going to notice. Especially when they keep disappearing at the same time every day."

Hiccup shrugged. "When you say it like that, I guess it _would_ be pretty obvious."

"And you're supposed to be smart?" Tula said cheekily.

Hiccup grinned at her.

Erik spoke up, his curiosity aroused. "So...what's the big secret you want us to keep?" he asked eagerly.

Hiccup sobered up straight away. "It's big...we really need you to keep it to yourselves though."

Erik asked shrewdly, "Why have you waited till now?"

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other, still uneasy with the decision they had been forced to make.

Astrid answered for them both. "We've realised we have to accept the Chief's offer to stay here over the winter. Neither of us are likely to survive if we try to fly home now."

The faces of Erik and Tula lit up at the opportunity to get to know their new friends better.

Hiccup continued, "But we've been protecting something in the woods...something that won't be able to last through the winter unless we make a shelter."

Astrid spoke up. "We can't do it on our own, and we were hoping you would help us build it."

Erik was astonished. "What have you got out there, that's so big it requires a shelter?"

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other briefly before Hiccup spoke. "Perhaps...it might be better if we just showed you."

Astrid told them in a worried tone, "But you must be prepared to keep a secret. Can you promise never to tell anyone what you are about to see? It's very important that you agree to this first."

Erik and Tula's interest was definitely peaked, so they didn't hesitate to agree.

About a half hour later, they weren't so sure.

"They're dragons," said Tula in a high pitched voice as she stared at a Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder, both names that caused shudders to run down her spine just saying them. But here she was, Erik by her side and looking just as freaked as she felt, watching Hiccup and Astrid stroking the scales on two dangerous creatures without appearing to have any qualms or fears about it.

"Glad you noticed," said Hiccup drily. "Lucky you're the smart one."

Tula shot him an unamused frown. "I'm smart enough to know you don't go petting blood thirsty dragons as if they were your _pets_ ," she shot back at him.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and spoke to Astrid, "Why is it everyone has to put 'blood thirsty' and 'dragon' in the same sentence all the time? Surely someone could come up with something more original that that?"

Astrid snorted back a laugh.

Tula whined, "But that's a Night Fury! How could you say anything else about it?"

Hiccup grinned. "Easy. Watch this."

With that, he scratched Toothless under the chin in the special spot he knew exactly where to find. Toothless instantly dropped to the ground, rolling over in blissed out ecstasy. His tongue lolled out sideways, a happy grin clearly evident on his face.

Erik and Tula stepped back in surprise, their mouths gaping open at the sight

"What did you do to it?" asked Erik. "Did you slay it?"

Hiccup scoffed. "Of course not. Does he look slayed?" he asked, pointing at the very much alive dragon, who was wriggling around on his back, giving it a good scratch while he could.

"We call it their 'happy spot'," Astrid told them. "They love it."

Erik and Tula were completely speechless, their mouths hanging open. This was truly _not_ one of the things they expected to do when they woke up that morning.

Hiccup droned at them. "Lucky there are no flies in winter, or the two of you would have eaten your fill by now."

The two snapped their jaws shut, appearing sheepish.

"Come over and touch them," Astrid said, inviting them over with a wave of her hand.

Tula hesitated, taking a step back. She went to grab Erik's arm to pull him away, but to her astonishment, he was already approaching the Nadder. Astrid gave him an encouraging smile, reaching out to take Erik's hand and pull him towards the curious dragon. Stormfly sniffed Erik's hand before pushing her snout into his palm.

The huge grin that he sprouted as he gently rubbed the draconic sized beak in front of him, made Tula second guess her instinct to run. Hiccup waved her over.

"Come on, Toothless wants to meet you," he told her.

Tula stared at the black dragon, wriggling his tail end enthusiastically and his tongue lolling out as he eagerly waited for the girl to approach. She had to agree, he looked more like an overgrown puppy than a dangerous beast. Before she knew it, her feet had taken her closer and Hiccup was guiding her hand towards the snout of the Night Fury. Touching the warm scales felt incredible, and Tula found it difficult to stand still after such an experience. But she did, only so she could do it some more.

"He's amazing," she whispered.

"Told you," grinned Hiccup knowingly.

Hiccup turned to give Toothless a loving scrub, so he didn't notice the wistful glance that Tula gave him. Or the besotted gaze that Erik had for Astrid.

After a few moments, Hiccup turned back. "So, do you think you could keep our secret?" he asked the other two carefully.

"Anything for you," Tula replied dreamily. At the raised eyebrow Hiccup gave her, she stammered, "Uh, I mean... yeah...of course we can. Don't you think so Erik?"

Erik was also giving her a weird look, but he didn't hesitate to agree. "Sure. What happens now?"

Hiccup started to outline his plan for the type of building he wanted to build, when Astrid cleared her throat loudly, drawing his attention. When he glanced at her, she pointed her chin to a spot between some trees located beside them. Turning his gaze in the same direction, Hiccup could see straight away what Astrid had observed. Two dragons were hiding amongst the trees, spying on the two Torstein villagers. Hiccup recognized them as coming from the flock that had escorted them over. He was a little surprised as he had assumed that Toothless and Stormfly would be the only ones to stay through the snow. Turned out he was wrong.

"Hey guys," he said quietly. "We've got company. Want to make some more friends?" he asked Erik and Tula, pointing towards the curious Hobblegrunt and Monstrous Nightmare.

Everyone turned towards the gate crashers and gasped. Now that they had been discovered, the two dragons emerged from their hiding spot and lumbered closer.

Hiccup walked over to the Nightmare, greeting it softly and rubbing the female dragon's nose.

Erik was astounded. "Do you make it a habit to just walk up to any wild dragons you see?" he asked.

Astrid muttered, "You have _no_ idea."

Hiccup grinned a little in embarrassment. "Um...probably," he replied while Astrid snorted and rolled her eyes. "But we already know these two. They came here with us when we landed."

"Landed? Do you ride them?" Erik said with a jolt.

"Yeah...they get tired if they have to swim too far, and our arms won't hold out for too long if we flap by ourselves," Hiccup deadpanned.

Astrid face palmed at the sarcasm.

"So that story about being shipwrecked wasn't true?" asked Tula.

Hiccup shook his head. "No...sorry about that. But we had to tell you something that wouldn't make you chase us away with the threat of pitchforks in our backs."

"Bit dramatic don't you think?" Tula asked while laughing, but stopped when Hiccup and Astrid both gave her impassive stares. "Does that really happen?" she asked astounded.

"Well, haven't had too many pitch forks lately, but certainly everything else. Bolas, spears, dragon proof chain and of course nets, are all favorite dragon and dragon rider hunting equipment," Astrid told them flatly.

"Wow," said Tula breathlessly, her gaze taking in Hiccup again. He was already impressive in her eyes, but now not only was he friends with dragons...he also flew them. She stared at him, finding the unassuming young man even more attractive than before.

The Nightmare nudged Hiccup a little, wanting to gain his attention.

"Erik, I think she wants to get to know you," Hiccup told the black haired man, correctly guessing the dragon's message.

Erik was a little unsure about that, but approached anyway when Hiccup beckoned him forward. He did as Hiccup instructed, placing his hand out palm forward and turning away. He didn't have to stand there too long as a warm snout pushed into his palm. Looking back, he found himself very excited in a way that was different from when he stroked Stormfly. The Nadder had been polite, such as you would be with an acquaintance. But the Nightmare was nosing around him with great enthusiasm. Just as if she was inviting him saying, ' _hey! Come be my friend_!'

Erik wanted to accept that invitation. So he responded in like fashion.

"There, see? Now you've bonded with your very own dragon," Hiccup told him.

"I have?" said Erik in surprise.

"All that's left now is for you to name her."

Erik thought about it for a moment, "Ruby. Is that okay with you, girl?" he asked the purring dragon. Ruby nudged up against him, her eyes closed in contentment.

Erik laughed in delight, gaining more and more boldness with the large creature as the two became familiar with one another.

Hiccup grinned at the sight and stood back to give them space. He bumped into the Hobblegrunt. Turning to give her some affection, he noticed with surprise that the dragon was watching Tula. "You too, huh?"

Hiccup turned to say something to Tula, but when his eyes met hers, she dropped her gaze almost bashfully, her cheeks flushing a little. He didn't know why she reacted like that, but decided to ignore it for now.

"Tula, there's a beautiful girl here who wants to be your friend. Would you like to come and meet her?" he asked, extending his hand out to her in invitation.

To his surprise, Tula blushed even deeper, but she nodded and approached them both. She grabbed his hand, and hung on tightly. He tried to push her gently towards the dragon, but she refused to let go.

"Uh...okay. Um, extend your hand out Tula, like Erik did," he told her.

Tula held tightly onto him with one hand, while the other she nervously held close to her chest, not quite willing to trust yet.

Hiccup ended up guiding the hand he was holding towards the nose of the shy Hobblegrunt, and using his other hand to place in the small of her back to stop her pulling away. She stepped closer to him, till she was almost against his chest. Hiccup didn't really notice how close they were, as he focused instead on assisting the connection between dragon and girl. It took a little longer to coax both the nervous girl and the cautious beast, but eventually it happened. They connected.

Finally, Tula let go of Hiccup to cuddle up to the dragon, the Hobblegrunt changing colors as her mood fluctuated. "I think your name should be Twinkle," she said quietly. Twinkle seemed to agree and Tula smiled happily.

Hiccup went to leave, to give the two girls some time alone, but he hadn't taken more than a step when Tula rounded on him, planting a generous kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered with a small giggle before turning back to the Hobblegrunt.

Hiccup's brows were still riding high when he went back to Astrid. "What was that?" he asked in bewilderment.

"That...was a girl with a crush," Astrid told him, stifling a giggle at his innocence.

"A crush? On me?" he asked in alarm, stepping back as he waited for the inevitable punch.

Astrid only rolled her eyes at him, and grabbed him by the tunic. Pulling him close to her she gave him a much more meaningful kiss full on the lips, leaving him slightly dazed.

"You can't help being so adorable," she told him, her eyes sliding suggestively over his still thin body.

Hiccup blushed at her forthrightness, glancing over towards the other two. They were still occupied and hadn't noticed the exchange between them.

"Only for you," he told her, leaning forward to give her a reassuring kiss.

-oOo-

About twenty minutes later, the four were walking back towards the village after leaving the dragons behind. They were talking animatedly about how to build a shelter large enough to accommodate the four dragons. Erik and Tula were familiar with how to build using manpower, but Hiccup and Astrid knew how to build much more quickly and with less people by using dragon power. And they had four to work with. Erik didn't think it was possible, and Hiccup had to use all his persuasive power to convince him otherwise.

Tula entered the conversation with a different topic. "We will have to tell my dad about them," she informed the others.

To her surprise Hiccup agreed. "It would be best. Sneaking off to see them in the middle of winter will be too difficult. We would be noticed straight away. Plus it doesn't feel right lying to the Chief, when he's already done so much for us," he said.

"But he could turn against us," argued Astrid. "Then what would happen? We'd be worse off than we are now."

"What if we pick the right time?" asked Erik. "Wait till he's happy and mellow...then talk to him about it then."

"That might work," said Hiccup nodding.

"But..." began Astrid before Hiccup interrupted.

"Astrid...we're only here temporarily," he told her gently. "What about Ruby and Twinkle after we leave?"

Astrid was about to voice another rebuttal, but stopped to think. She had to admit he was right. Hiding their dragons was going to be difficult, but if they did it and then ran at the end of winter, they would be leaving their new friends to face the wrath of their Chief by themselves. They needed to help ease the way, to encourage the Chief and perhaps a few others, to allow the dragons to stay and live in the Village in peace. The only thing to work on...was how to go about it.

They had almost made it back into town when they heard a loud roar.

"Dragon," Hiccup breathed out, worriedly. All four ran towards the noise, only to find a Timberjack roaring and thrashing around on the edge of town. The sharp edges of its wings were slicing through the surrounding trees, sending them crashing to the ground. Running around it, they found a group of villagers with the Chief in front, set to charge at the angry beast. Hiccup could see a catapult being prepared off to the side, ready to fire a net at the enraged creature.

Astrid and Hiccup glanced quickly at each other. "You stop the catapult...I'll stop the Chief. You two stop anybody else from harming the dragon. Then I'll calm it down," he told them firmly.

Erik gasped. "Are you mad? That's a wild dragon!"

Astrid only snorted. "Uh, hello? This is Hiccup you're talking too. Haven't you already seen him in action?"

"But they were tame ones..." Erik protested.

"Who were all wild to start with," continued Astrid before running off to her assigned role.

"Please go," said Hiccup. "We'll talk about this later."

He ran off leaving a flabbergasted Erik and Tula, who decided they had better do as they were told.

"Chief! Stop!" Hiccup yelled.

"Hiccup! Get back with the others...we'll fix this," Hersker shouted, his battle axe raised threateningly in his hand.

"No, don't! You'll get hurt if you try. Think of your people...and how much damage an angry dragon will do. I know how to handle this. I can get him to leave without any injuries...but you have to let me do it on my own...nobody is to raise a weapon to him," Hiccup told the Chief, begging for him to listen.

"You? You can barely stand on your own two feet. How are you going to fight a dragon? Especially one as big as this?" replied Hersker, glancing with concern over the younger man's still frail form.

"I'm not going to fight him. Just let me try it my way. What have you got to lose? I'm only a stranger in your town. If I die, you have nobody to tell. Nobody to demand justice. Astrid knows what I can do...she won't concern you. If I fail, then you can still go ahead with your plan. Just please, stand back and keep your weapons down. I promise...you will be amazed at what will happen," Hiccup told him with so much conviction the Chief hesitated.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked worriedly.

"Very," Hiccup replied firmly.

Hersker stood back. "Okay, you get one shot at this...then I'm going in."

Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief. He nodded. "Fine...just tell everybody to keep their weapons down."

The Chief yelled at his confused warriors to drop their weapons and stand back, which they reluctantly did. Erik, Tula and Astrid gave further encouragement to those a little slow to obey.

Hiccup approached the dragon, who had stopped his rampaging to watch what was happening. The Timberjack kept his eye on Hiccup as he slowly approached, talking soft words to him. The 'jack growled, stumbling backwards.

"It's okay, big guy. I won't hurt you. My friends won't hurt you either. We only want to help you. What's the matter? You should be migrating to your winter home by now."

Hiccup stretched out his hand towards the large beast, who kept his head high above the man on the ground. Slowly, but surely, Hiccup persisted in calming the dragon, waiting for the moment that he would finally relent and allow himself to befriend a human.

Behind him, the villagers of Torstein and even the Chief, all stood in total shock as they watched the impossible. Even Erik and Tula were amazed, despite having already seen Hiccup with the dragons. Only Astrid smirked knowingly.

Eventually, the 'jack lowered his head and pushed his snout into Hiccup's outstretched palm. He stood there, happily accepting Hiccup's affections while the townsfolk were nudging each other to check if this was one colossal trick, or if they were even awake. Assured that neither point was valid, they could only shake their heads in disbelief...till suddenly, everything changed.

Hiccup touched under the dragons jaw, and as soon as he did, the 'jack froze. His eyes crossed in pain and he roared directly into Hiccup's face. The young man unexpectedly reached right into the dragons mouth, then grimly hung on as the dragon threw his head in the air. Hiccup yelled loudly during the terrific ordeal...trapped inside a dragon's mouth several meters above the ground, being whipped around mercilessly.

The Chief commanded his warriors to ready themselves, but Astrid yelled at him to stop, for he could easily hit Hiccup. So Hersker could nothing more than watch helplessly while he waited for an opportunity to strike. To add to the confusion, a black Night Fury leaped out of the trees to challenge the Timberjack, followed closely by three other dragons. Toothless roared at the dragon ferociously, looking for a way to save his boy.

Hiccup heard him and yelled in a muffled voice, "No! Toothless stay back. I'm okay."

The Chief thought this was very bizarre because he certainly did not look okay. The young man was being thrashed around inside the mouth of a huge dragon with only his legs visible. Why he hadn't been eaten yet was another question in the back of Hersker's mind.

Toothless stopped attacking but he continued to circle around the 'jack, growling fiercely the whole time. Most of Torstein's warriors had all fled at the sight of the Night Fury and the other dragons, but Hersker stayed put. To his amazement, he heard a slight crack coming from within the Timberjack's mouth. Instantly the dragon stopped shaking, and a huge sense of relief could clearly be seen on his scaly face. He gently lowered his head, allowing Hiccup to stand on flat ground once more. The young man, although very ruffled and covered in dragon slobber, appeared unharmed and unfazed. He merely straightened himself out, then went back to stroking the apologetic dragon. He put his hand under the huge jaw, but this time there was no mass panic, only a quiet rumble.

"Here you go big fella. You're all good now. Next time, I suggest you go see Gobber at Berk. He'll fix your teeth up properly. Okay?" said Hiccup to the dragon.

The massive head appeared to nod in acceptance. Hiccup very quickly had extra company. A Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder pushed in under each arm, each checking him over for any harm. Toothless gave a warning growl towards the 'jack still clinging close to Hiccup.

Astrid walked over. "Bad tooth?" she asked.

"Yeah," he told her, showing her a huge dragon tooth with a massive cavity.

Hersker watched the thin young man, who looked as if he could barely lift the heavy weapons he made so expertly in the forge, surrounded by winged reptiles and looking like some kind of Dragon King. He felt like he was in a dream, listening to Hiccup hesitantly explain to him that back on Berk where his father was Chief, everyone had dragons as friends. They cared for the beasts and in return, the dragons acted as friends, defenders and even helped to rebuild when needed. He explained how the war against dragons had ended five years ago, and since then, they had learned to ride them, allowing them to travel further and further across the archipelago and beyond. As a result, they had formed friendships with many other tribes who also respected the dragons.

When Hersker's own daughter and nephew stepped in to support Hiccup, the Chief didn't think it was possible to be any more surprised...until the other two dragons approached them too.

Erik calmly introduced them, "This is Ruby...and this is Twinkle."

Hiccup broke in, "Sir, two days ago you offered us a place to stay over the winter. At the time we had respectfully declined...and these dragons are the reason why. As you already know, neither Astrid nor myself are in a fit state of health to fly home to Berk in this weather. We want to accept your invitation, but we would understand if are not interested in having us anymore."

"Please dad," begged Tula. "Can they stay? We want to learn more about the dragons, and we won't be able to if you send them away."

The Chief thought about all this, thinking deeply. He already had an appreciation for the young couple's skills, something his little village would benefit from. But now there was the possibility for more. If they cared for the heir of Berk, surely the more prosperous island would be inclined to ally themselves with them. A truly beneficial arrangement.

"Would they need to be fed? We only have limited reserves," Hersker asked shrewdly.

"No sir, the dragons can fish and hunt for themselves," Hiccup replied. "We would only ask your permission to build a shelter for them out of harm's way in the forest."

Hersker nodded thoughtfully. He beamed. "Then I formerly welcome you...and your dragons...into Torstein for the winter."

Hiccup and Astrid breathed huge sighs of relief, along with Tula and Erik. Hugs were handed out all round between the four new friends at their success. Now they could plan in earnest.

"Dad, what about the hunters?" Tula asked the Chief.

"Hunters?" asked Astrid quickly. "What about them?"

Hersker sighed heavily. "They come here regularly to trap dragons. But they won't come during winter. There isn't any dragons for them to hunt."

Hiccup frowned. "I need to warn you, that we've made it our mission to rescue any dragons. We'll search the island whenever we can."

"Fair enough. We'll figure out what to do about the hunters, later."

Hiccup agreed and went to turn, but stumbled and would have fallen if Tula hadn't been beside him. She caught him and wrapped her arm around his waist to hold him up.

"Thanks," he said tiredly. It had been an exceptionally busy afternoon for both Hiccup and Astrid, and they were both exhausted and barely standing.

Hiccup sent all the dragons back to where they had come from, but the Timberjack flew into the skies to resume his migratory journey. Tula helped Hiccup back to the healer's hut, and Erik practically carried Astrid, much to her annoyance. Brenda fussed over them both till they were soon sound asleep on their furs. They wouldn't rise till the next morning.

-oOo-

That evening, the Chief sat brooding by his fireplace. He had a lot of information to process from the unexpected events of the day. He had no love for dragons, having experienced dragon raids in the past. But he didn't have a deep hatred for them either. When Hiccup had shown he could control the dragons, it had been quite an experience. To then find out he came from an island where everybody had dragons made his heart race with the possibilities. Torstein was a struggling small village, despite his attempts to improve their lot. But invasions from other tribes, dragon hunters enslaving some of his people plus plain bad luck in weather and circumstances, had stopped them getting ahead.

He had hoped that caring for the heir of Berk would encourage the other village to ally themselves with them, therefore providing much needed protection and possibly commercial benefits.

Hersker thought to himself a bit more. All that was well and good, but there may be a better way to gain even more. Hiccup was an eligible bachelor, and his daughter was of marriageable age. If the two should marry, then he would have the Dragon King as a son-in-law. This would immediately raise the status of their island. He could ask for the Berkians help to strengthen Torstein's defenses as part of Tula's dowry. Hersker's eyes lit up with all the benefits he could imagine. Including have dragons under their control. Other tribes would have to think twice before invading them. They could rebuild and expand, becoming more prosperous.

Yes, a marriage between Hiccup and Tula was a brilliant plan except for one thing...Astrid. Even though Hiccup and Astrid weren't married or even betrothed, it was perfectly clear they had feelings for each other. But he had also seen the way Tula had stared at Hiccup, and the way Erik had admired Astrid. He intended to take advantage of those feelings to drive a wedge between Hiccup and Astrid. By the end of winter, he intended to announce the wedding of his daughter...to the Dragon King, Hiccup... heir and next Chief of Berk.


	12. Misunderstandings

**Here's chapter 12 redone. Hopefully things are a little more believable this time. But just in case, I have the burn cream ready...**

 **This is an important chapter as it leads to a lot of other events…so it's worthwhile getting it right. And if you're still not keen on it, do me a favour and pretend it's okay so I can move on! Thanks!**

 **Just a reminder, this is a hiccstrid story. Things get a little turbulent for a bit. If you don't want to read it, I suggest you skip to chapter 14…maybe even chapter 15.**

 **A big thankyou to yesthenLucky9, darkmist111 and especially harrypanther for helping me with their advice on how to reconstruct this chapter.**

 ***deep breath in* Okay….take two!**

* * *

Tula and Erik were sitting in Tula's room. Both were very quiet. They had just come from speaking with Hersker and the instructions they had been given were quite disturbing.

"You like him, don't you?" Erik said suddenly.

Tula blushed a little but didn't deny it. "What's not to like? He's so...unassuming...and he has such a warm heart," she sighed dreamily. "And his hands...they feel so wonderful when he touches me."

"And he's in love with Astrid...you know, the girl who also knows how to control dragons? The one who's our friend?" Erik reminded her.

Tula snorted. "You can't talk. Don't think I haven't seen the way you look at her. And it's definitely not in a 'just friends' kind of way. You're in this as much as I am."

Erik couldn't deny it. Tula smirked in triumph.

"Okay...what are we going to do then? Astrid and Hiccup are both great. I _like_ having them as friends," said Erik, his ebony hair swinging over his face as he leaned forward onto his knees.

"I don't know...dad gave us an order as Chief. We can't disobey the Chief. We'd end up in too much trouble," said Tula as she nervously chewed on her nails.

"How about this then," suggested Erik. "...what if we...spent more time with them? You with Hiccup, and me with Astrid. If, by the end of winter, they like us back...then we've obeyed Uncle and it all ends well. But...if Hiccup and Astrid still like each other...then we've tried our best and if we don't tell them anything, we'll keep them as friends too."

Tula frowned. It all sounded so ...devious. But she couldn't come up with a better plan. The only way she could marry Hiccup was for him to fall in love with her. But to do that, he would have to not be in love with Astrid. Besides, the two had known each other since they were kids but they hadn't even gotten engaged yet. Surely that meant they weren't _that_ serious about each other? All she and Erik would do, would be to get to know them a little better, right? Except she would only get to know Hiccup. And Erik would get to know Astrid. Nothing wrong with that...right?

Tula thought about Hiccup. She thought about his careless auburn locks, the light smattering of freckles across his nose, those lips... She sighed wistfully. He was a very handsome man. And even though he was obviously still underweight at the moment, she could see the shape of his shoulders, and the outline of his muscles. But even more importantly than that, she could see his confident stance, the power and authority he held so evident in the way he spoke to others. Through it all, however, his kindness and gentleness shone through. He genuinely cared about people. She had noticed that straight away about him. He listened to people, then did what he could to help out.

The fact that he could also befriend the dragons, and rode a Night Fury had been simply amazing, and took his desirability up a whole new level. She thought about Twinkle, and the way Hiccup held her close when he was helping her to bond with the dragon. She could still feel his hands on her, his voice low and calm in her ear. It had been amazing, and she wanted more. She wanted him.

"Okay...that's what we'll do," she heard herself say to Erik.

-oOo-

The following day, Chief Hersker put his plan into action. First of all, he had to separate the two. He didn't want to give them any chance for confidential talk to take place between them. He needed to create as much disharmony between them as possible, to give his daughter and Erik the best chance.

Knocking on the door of the healer, he walked in. As expected, Astrid and Hiccup were already there, sitting side by side as they enjoyed a late breakfast. Yesterday had been particularly difficult for them both, and they had slept a little longer than usual.

"Good morning you two," he said cheerfully. "I trust you're feeling better now?"

They both nodded.

Brenda was there, as usual, bustling around her pot. "Aye, they are. I had to give them some recovery herbs in their tea last night to help. Chief, you shouldn't let them get so overworked," she scolded lightly.

Hersker gave her an indignant frown. "How did I have any control over yesterday's events, woman?"

Brenda retorted, "Erik and Tula had to practically carry the two of them in here, they were almost unconscious. Especially Hiccup. You have to make sure that doesn't happen again," she declared fervently.

Brenda really cared about these two, more than just patients. When she had seen them yesterday, she had been really worried. She didn't want to see either of them like that again.

Hersker brushed aside her concerns. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Besides, I have other plans right now. Hiccup and Astrid..." he turned to address the young couple. "Yesterday, I agreed that the two of you and your dragons, would be welcome to stay in Torstein for the duration of the winter. Your only demand was to allow a shelter to be built for them, which I agreed to. We'll look into that later today. Now I have a demand for you."

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other with an expression of worry. What was it he wanted from them?

"Aside from keeping your dragons under control, which I'm assuming I don't have to tell you...I want Hiccup to move in with me." At the gasp of concern, he hastily explained himself. "It's not proper for two unwedded people to be living together, and seeing as you are now officially part of the town and no longer here for only recuperation, you will need to be separated."

Brenda immediately protested, racing to place a protective hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "But Chief! He's not well enough to leave my care yet! Didn't yesterday mean anything to you?" she cried indignantly.

"He's fine," Hersker said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You can check on him at my lodge if you like. We'll make sure he's well rested and well fed, you don't have to worry about that."

"But..." Brenda continued to protest.

"No buts. Hiccup will be moved to my house by this evening. That's an order," he declared before standing up and leaving.

Once the door had closed, Astrid hugged Hiccup tightly. "What are we going to do? I don't want to be separated from you again! I just got you back."

"I know. But it will be different this time, we can come and go as we please...and we've got the dragons with us. It will be okay. We'll still spend as much time together during the day as possible. It won't be like we'll never see each other," he replied in a resigned tone.

"No, this is not right," said Benda furiously. She marched straight out the door, aiming to find the Chief and give him a piece of her mind about the situation.

Hiccup kissed Astrid briefly, pushing a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "It's only for the winter. Then we can go home and spend as much time together as possible. Okay?" he told her softly.

Astrid couldn't help the single tear that ran down her cheek. She nodded miserably, and pushed herself into his warmth, his arms warm around her.

"Okay."

-oOo-

The next morning, Hiccup stepped out from the Chief's house. The cool morning air was chilly, and a light cloud of condensation blew from Hiccup's lips as he contemplated the snow covered village around him. It had been a restless night getting used to his new surrounds in the Chief's spare room, and he had felt a little empty without Astrid close beside him. He glanced over towards Brenda's house. He could only partially see one corner of the building from here…not enough to know if anyone was up or not.

Erik and Tula had their own rooms in the Chief's house, and they had welcomed him into their fold last night with a small party. Hiccup had felt a little odd that Astrid wasn't there with them, but he guessed it would be that way most days. Because of the cold and the heavy snow drifts during winter, it was usual for the townsfolk to retire to their separate abodes early to enjoy the rest of the evening with those they lived with. Not that he disliked it. He enjoyed Erik and Tula's company. But it would have been more pleasant with the blonde warrior there as well.

Rubbing his hands together to warm them up, Hiccup sighed. This was to be their life for the next few months of winter. With the fresh sprinkling of soft snow on the ground this morning, the weather showed it was now too late for them to contemplate going anywhere, except here.

Hiccup frowned. He hoped the dragons had weathered the cold last night. He was sure they could. They were dragons, for goodness sake. Complete with their own inbuilt fire system. Didn't mean he wasn't going to worry, though. Getting a shelter for all four dragons was on the top of his priority listing today. Even with dragon power, it was still going to take some time to build it. His and Astrid's strength and endurance was still minimal, so they would have to pace themselves.

A large shape loomed out of the frosty early morning mist.

"Ah….good to see you are up. Sleep well?" Hersker asked briskly.

Hiccup shrugged. "Well enough. I can't complain."

Hersker nodded with a knowing frown. "Hmm. New place. Takes a while to settle in. I'm sure you'll be fine in no time."

"Thank you sir. I'm sure you're right."

There was a pause. "So…are you planning on building that shelter for your dragons today?" Hersker asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes sir. I have the plans drawn up already."

"Good lad. Come back inside and show me what you've got while we have breakfast. I'll see what I can do to help you with supplies." Hersker directed Hiccup back inside the house.

Hiccup glanced briefly towards Brenda's house, then obediently walked back inside the Chief's warm dwelling. Erik and Tula had arisen and were shuffling around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for them all. Tula smiled shyly at Hiccup. He gave her a small nod in return.

The three men sat at the table to discuss building plans while Tula finished breakfast and brought it over for them all. Hiccup gave her a grateful smile which made her blush a little. Hiccup was taken aback by her reaction, but was pulled back into the conversation before he had time to think about it.

Once the chief had approved the supplies they would need, and they had discussed the way Hiccup wanted to build the shelter, it wasn't long before the three young people plus Astrid were working together to construct a snug house for their winged friends. Timid Tula stuck close to Hiccup, so that he could patiently teach her how to fly and strengthen her bond with Twinkle. Astrid was sometimes inclined to be a little impatient, so she was going to teach the much bolder Erik how to fly Ruby.

Each day of the build, the convalescing Hiccup and Astrid found they would become quite exhausted fairly quickly. Because of this and their circumstances, it was difficult to and find time to talk together. So during their treks back to the village, the faster Eric and Tula would pace out front while Hiccup and Astrid would hang back and talk quietly to each other. They each worried over the other, but there wasn't much either could do except eat well and rest often…in different houses.

Both felt frustrated at their own weaknesses. Not being close to each other was also another disturbing stumbling block. They each felt the urgent desire to be together, but bided their time instead. Surely they wouldn't always be apart? Especially once they had regained their health and had more energy to search each other out. Surely it wouldn't always be like this?

-oOo-

After that first week when the shelter was completed, Hiccup and Astrid had found themselves with some extra free time. Finding each other, they headed straight for the dragon shelter, holding hands as they went.

"Finally!" said Astrid. "I thought that week would never end!"

Hiccup grinned at her. "Brenda's herbs seem to be helping you," he said happily, noticing the colour returning to her cheeks.

"And you," she said in response. "I'm not up to full speed yet, but I'm getting there. I want to start training again…properly. I'm sure another week or two will be all I need. Unfortunately, it will be too late to go home, so we'll have to wait it out till spring comes."

He nodded agreeably. "Can't be helped. I wish we had some way to contact dad. I don't like making him worry."

She sighed, "All we can do is think how excited they will be when we fly back home and tell them where we've been."

"That's true… Hey guys! Ready for a spin in the clouds?" said Hiccup, greeting Toothless and Stormfly.

The dragons nudged into their riders, crooning and squawking excitedly. "I guess that's a yes, then!" Hiccup laughed. It didn't take any further prompting before all four were in the cool air, flying as far as they could in the icy conditions. And even though they had to cut their flight very short, it was still exhilarating to have that time together…just the two of them.

-oOo-

The very next morning, the Chief invited Astrid over to his house so that he could talk to all four youngsters. Once they were all together, he abruptly set upon his business.

"Hiccup, Astrid…it's good to see you've recovered quite a bit now."

Hiccup smiled, "Thank you Chief. We're feeling much better and more energetic."

Hersker nodded. "Seeing as that's done, it's time to set up your workloads for the winter months. Astrid, I want to formalize your training with our youngsters each morning. They will do well learning from your experience and abilities."

Astrid gave a formal nod.

"Erik will be your co-trainer," he added. Erik turned to Astrid and smiled brightly, and she grinned in return.

Hiccup couldn't help feel a twinge of jealousy at the idea that Astrid would be spending most of her day with the muscular Erik, even though he knew she wasn't the kind of girl who cared about such things.

"Hiccup…"

He snapped to attention at the Chief's words. "You will be continuing your work with Vard. He's going to need a lot of help to catch up with his workload, to be ready in time for spring."

Hiccup nodded in acceptance, but inside he was groaning with exasperation. He'd seen how much the Torstein blacksmith had fallen behind. The pile of broken weapons and farming tools was huge! Plus, he'd already been pulled aside by a few villagers and told quietly that the cantankerous old man's skill set had slipped in his aging years. What work he did do, was not that great anymore. Hiccup knew he was in for some very long hours at the forge.

Erik cleared his throat, drawing Hersker's attention.

"Yes Erik?"

"Hiccup and Astrid have been telling us about their training with the dragons…learning how to fight by dragon back. I was wondering…seeing as Astrid and I will already be in the training ring, if she could teach me how to fight with Ruby," Erik suggested.

Astrid's eyes opened wide and she shook her head. "That's normally Hiccup's role," she told him.

Hiccup was going to say something but Erik jumped in first. "From what you guys have told us, you're just as accomplished. Plus, with the work load that Hiccup will be under, he might not be able to spend that kind of time training me."

Hiccup tried to speak again, but this time Hersker spoke up. "Hmm….good idea. That's settled then…Astrid, after your lessons with the young ones, you can train with Erik."

Tula tried to protest about being left out, but Hersker shot a warning glare in her direction. "Tula, I don't want you learning to fight. You already know how I feel about that."

Tula frowned and crossed her arms in a sulk. "Can I at least keep learning how to ride with Hiccup?" she asked petulantly.

Hersker hesitated. He wanted Tula to focus on learning how to be a dutiful wife, and riding dragons was not a part of that. But he couldn't deny that it was too late to prevent it. If Hiccup taught his daughter how to ride, it would serve two purposes….one, to keep Tula safe on a dragon, and two…encourage Hiccup to spend more time with his daughter and hopefully learn to love her. The benefits were laid out in front of him. He agreed.

"Good idea. You do that," he said in such a way that Hiccup felt he wouldn't be able to argue with any of it. One of the things that was plain to him, was the lack of opportunities he had to be with Astrid.

"What about saddles?" asked Erik, turning to Hiccup. "I noticed you were working on some in the forge."

All eyes turned to Hiccup, and he stammered, "Uh, yeah. Saddles make flying much more comfortable for both rider and dragon. I can probably make one for you and Tula," he told them.

Tula's face lit up. "Great! I can help you," she said eagerly.

"Tula," warned the Chief.

"What? Saddles are made from leather. Leather has to be sewed. I can sew. Plus it will give me something to do over winter. Hiccup can teach me. It's not like I have to do any blacksmithing. Hiccup can do that part," she told her father briskly.

Hersker couldn't argue with that logic, so he agreed.

"Yay!" said Tula happily. She grabbed hold of Hiccup's arm. "We'll be working together! And you can teach me all about dragons while we sew. Won't that be great?" she said enthusiastically.

Hiccup smiled uncertainly, Tula's arm around his a little disconcerting. He flicked his gaze towards Astrid and saw a flash of something unpleasant there, as she stared pointedly at their connecting arms. Hiccup hastily disconnected himself away from Tula.

He turned to the Chief and gave a falsely bright smile. "Well, that seems all settled then. There will be plenty of things to do this winter. At least we won't get bored," he quipped, making them all chuckle. His own smile faded, as he thought to himself how few chances there were for him and Astrid to have time alone.

-oOo-

The four young people took about a week to establish a new routine with their respective workloads, but by the end of it, they were working well in their assigned roles; Astrid with Erik, and Hiccup with Tula. At the evening meal, they would end up sitting together in the Great Hall and catch up on all they had done. Hiccup would try to sit beside Astrid, but would sometimes find Erik already there. He would frown, but say nothing, sitting beside Tula instead. It hadn't really mattered, as the two of them had worked out they could have a late afternoon flight session on their dragons, before they had to be shut in for the night.

Till the night Chief Hersker saw them flying overhead….

That evening, Hersker sat brooding, only partially taking interest in the conversation between Erik and Hiccup in his house.

Erik was enthusiastic. "I can see why you guys are so excited about using dragons for defence. Ruby is amazing!"

Hiccup had to smile. "Yeah…dragons changed everything for us. We had to invent new equipment to take advantage of that." A memory came to him, and he chuckled. "Some ended up with a different role than what I had originally intended," he added.

"Can you tell us about one?" asked Tula.

"Um…how about the thunder ear?"

"A thunder ear?" Erik leaned forward in his curiosity. "What's that? It sounds interesting."

Hiccup paused to consider the other man. Erik was handsome, no doubt about that. But he was also charming, likeable, and keen on what Hiccup had to say. Hiccup didn't really have anything he could say against the guy…except that he spent far more time with Astrid than Hiccup could. Which made Hiccup a tiny bit jealous of him.

Realising that the others were waiting for an answer, Hiccup started. "I um…made it when I was about sixteen…as a way to listen out for a Screaming Death."

"Screaming Death?" asked Tula, just the name alone making her shudder. "What's that?"

Hiccup glanced over at her and smiled kindly. "A very big and nasty dragon that you want to keep right away from… unless you know it's mother."

He turned back to Erik. "Anyway, it was meant to magnify sounds so we would know if any dangerous dragons were approaching…till dad found another use for it. He overheard his best friend Gobber saying some interesting things that Gobber hadn't intended for him to hear, while he was down at the docks."

Hersker perked up at this. "Sounds intriguing. Er…what does it look like?"

Hiccup quickly found a piece of parchment and drew a rough sketch of the thunder ear for his audience. "The sound is funnelled in this end, and you listen at this end," he explained.

"Hmm…" said Hersker, eyeing off the drawing while an idea formed in his head. "Do you have other inventions that would also be useful here?" he asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "Sure. There's a few. Plus I've already thought of a few things that might be helpful for your village."

"Good, good," the Chief murmured, a little distracted. "I've got an idea, Hiccup. Why don't you spend some time with me early each morning before you head over to the blacksmith…and show me those ideas of yours? Then we'll see if we have the resources to make them," he suggested.

Hiccup hesitated. He didn't think he had that much to offer the chief... though from what he already knew of the town, it was still a little backward, even in relation to other non-dragon friendly towns. But with Torstein having gained two new scaly residents, Hiccup guessed he did have a head start on what improvements would be needed to care for them….like a feeding station.

"Sure…I guess I could do that," Hiccup told the Chief uncertainly.

"Wonderful! We'll start tomorrow," said Hersker. Turning to Tula, the Chief asked her, "How are you doing with the saddles?"

Tula gave a disgruntled frown. "They're almost finished." She was disappointed about that, as she was running out of reasons to be in the forge close to Hiccup.

Hiccup beamed. "Another week, and they'll be done. Then we can test them out. I've never made one for a Hobblegrunt before, so I'm hoping we've got it right. I'm curious to see how Twinkle will react to the new position."

Hersker nodded and spoke to Tula. "I was thinking about how you want to 'do something'. How about you spend time with Brenda and Astrid in the evenings to study healing?"

Tula's smile was broad at the news that she was actually allowed to learn something other than household duties. She jumped at the chance to get out of the boring house.

"Dad, I would really love that!" she said excitedly, jumping up and giving her father a huge hug. He grinned.

"That's settled then. I'll talk to Brenda tomorrow." He stood up, stifling a yawn. "Now if you will all excuse me, I'm off to bed."

The others didn't stay up for much longer either, but Hiccup's heart was heavy as he laid down on his bed. If Astrid was going to study healing in the evening with Tula, that meant they would not be able to go on their evening flights. And if he was working with Hersker in the mornings, Hiccup would likely miss out on that time to fly with Astrid too.

He was beginning to feel stifled, between working full time in the forge with Tula as his most constant companion, and now having to forfeit flight time with Astrid too….he didn't know how he was going to get around all this.

-oOo-

A few evenings later, Astrid heard the familiar whistle of the night fury overhead and sighed. Brenda paused in her speech and gave Astrid a sympathetic smile. She knew where the girl wanted to be, and it certainly wasn't here, locked away even earlier in her evening, taking part in some dry learning about the healing properties of plants.

Astrid tried to keep her focus on what Brenda was saying, but it was difficult considering the amount of distraction she had at the moment. Helping Brenda out had been something Astrid had enjoyed, especially when she realised she could learn to take better care of Hiccup. He seemed to manage to injure himself on a regular basis, thanks to his crazy inventions and fearless attitude.

When they had been at the Edge…it seemed like such a long time ago now…and one or the other of their small crew had fallen ill, they had been forced to either fly many hours back to Berk or retrieve Gothi to them. Luckily they hadn't any serious injuries so far, but Astrid shuddered to think what would happen if they had ever needed a healer quickly. So learning about the art of healing seemed to be a practical way to create a solution to that problem.

Still, she hadn't expected to be locked in with Tula to do it, and away from Hiccup on one of the few times in the day that they could be together. Tula was a nice girl, there wasn't really anything she could say bad about her. Except that she loved to prattle on about how Hiccup helped her do this, and Hiccup taught her that and how close they were. It was really beginning to grate on Astrid's nerves. She didn't _want_ to hear about Hiccup spending time with another girl.

She breathed in, then out, focussing on keeping her attention where it was supposed to be. Brenda was giving her a concerned look and Astrid forced herself to smile back.

She really appreciated the older woman, who fussed over the young couple like a mother hen. It amazed her how Brenda stayed so calm and patient each day when Astrid was already keen to pull her axe out and threaten people into NOT moaning and complaining about their hangnails and blisters.

Hiccup also knew how to keep his cool when under pressure, so Astrid figured she had better learn patience too. Although, she had surprised herself when she had realised that without the twins and Snotlout's constant badgering and bickering and total _annoyance_ to keep her aggravated, she was naturally a slightly calmer person anyway. But Tula's constant fawning over Hiccup was bringing out her inner dragon just as effectively as the twins did. She snapped.

"I already know what he's like. You forget…I've known him since we were kids. He's _my_ best friend."

Tula gasped and sat back, a little fearful of the angry blonde.

"I'm s-sorry, Astrid. I wasn't thinking. Just that it's been so thrilling to learn so much. I…I've never had that chance before," she apologized, her dark eyes wide and pleading.

Astrid felt a charge of guilt. She had no reason to snap like that and she was aware of the confined role the girl had previously. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to quiet her restless mind. Offering the other girl a stiff smile, she accepted the apology.

"I'm sorry too. How about we keep learning about…whatever we were up to," she finished, glancing up at Brenda guiltily for not paying attention.

Brenda only laughed and pointed it out in her book. The lesson continued from there.

-oOo-

Astrid and Erik were walking over to the forge after their afternoon workout. He had caught her one day, practising with her axe on her own. Erik had offered to spar with her, to help her increase her fitness and improve her skills which had become a little rusty. Astrid had hesitated, preferring to spar instead with a certain auburn haired man. She and Hiccup had tried, but it seemed every time they started a session, Hiccup would be called away for something urgent. He would apologetically leave, and Astrid would be left feeling frustrated and angry.

In the end she had decided to accept Erik's offer of help, and found him to be quite good with the sword. Not quite as good as Hiccup, but she wasn't about to tell him that. It already felt odd mentally comparing the two men, and even though Hiccup always won in her mind, Erik was still enjoyable company and a fast learner. He was great with the kids they were teaching, often making them laugh and relax where she was inclined to snarl and snap. As a teaching duo, Astrid and Erik worked well together.

The two were now laughing as they approached the forge. Astrid saw Hiccup working over something on the bench and her heart soared…till she noticed Tula sitting on the bench beside him. The two were working on something together and Tula was leaning in closely to Hiccup, their heads practically touching. They were so focused, they didn't even notice Erik and Astrid approaching.

Seeing them so close and so familiar with each other, made Astrid pause. It was if they were much more than friends. A sharp pain hit in the chest, and she almost felt the urge to search for the arrow that pierced her. But it wasn't an arrow, it was the sense of betrayal. Astrid felt jealous of the amount of time Tula spent with Hiccup while she could barely get any time with him.

Every time she saw Hiccup, he would be laughing with the other girl over something they had done together. And even though he would smile at her too, she couldn't help but wonder if Hiccup had found someone else to love. And why wouldn't he? Tula was beautiful. She was clearly the most suitable of the two girls to be wife material. Tula had been trained to take care of a household, and wasn't tainted with the scars of battle. She would be a caring and supportive wife, something which Astrid knew she herself would struggle with.

She knew that Tula was smart…she'd been learning beside her every night at Brenda's house. Astrid ticked off in her mind the qualities that the brunette held. Smart, house proud, supportive and patient, a quick learner fascinated by Hiccup's dragon knowledge and inventions…she knew this because she'd had to listen to the girl prattle on about it every chance she got… not to mention beautiful.

All these were qualities that Hiccup as Chief would need in his future wife. Qualities that Astrid felt she couldn't meet. But Tula could.

Astrid didn't want to go into the forge and pretend everything was alright when it clearly wasn't, but before she had a chance to veer away, Hiccup looked up and saw her.

"Astrid! Erik! How was training today?" he asked, although she thought his voice was a little strained.

"Great!" said Erik enthusiastically, taking Astrid's weapon from her hands and placing it along with his on the counter. Astrid thought she saw Hiccup frown at Erik momentarily, before he replaced it with a stiff smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We've been training so hard that our weapons need some attention…isn't that right, Astrid?" said Erik, turning to her.

Astrid had been standing backwards, unwilling to be noticed. Just seeing him there, so close, made even breathing hurt. Watching how fond he was of the other girl, she knew she wouldn't be able to hide her pain and the last thing she needed was Hiccup's pity.

Everyone's attention was on her, and she jumped, "Uh…yeah. Great to workout…little bit harsh on the blade edge, there," she said overly cheerful. Astrid wanted the ground to swallow her up and hide her from the raised eyebrows the others gave to her uncharacteristic response.

Hiccup was eyeing her in concern and it was all Astrid could do not to run away as fast as possible. Erik took the weapons over to the bench that Tula indicated to him, and while the others were distracted, Hiccup took the chance to approach the blonde warrior.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

Astrid stiffened. No, she wasn't okay, but the stubborn warrior in her didn't want to admit she was a molten mess inside. "Everything's peachy," she told him with an overly bright smile.

He drew a little closer. "I might be able to go for a flight later. Will you come with me? I have something to tell you," he said, his green eyes watching her intently.

It took all of Astrid's will power not to crumble right there. She felt sure he was going to tell her that he loved Tula now… that he'd made a mistake thinking he was in love with Astrid. Her heart strings were pulled taunt and they suddenly snapped.

"Why don't you take Miss Perfect over there," she hissed at him. "I'm sure she would love to fly with you."

With that, she turned and stormed out.

Erik shrugged at Astrid's strange behaviour, and left to follow after her.

Hiccup was bewildered. He turned to Tula. "What was that all about?" he asked, completely baffled. He'd only wanted to tell Astrid about some changes he was planning for her saddle, and couldn't understand why she had reacted like that.

Tula came over and placed a comforting hand on his. "It's okay. She's probably hormonal right now. She'll be okay in a day or three. It's probably best to leave her for a little while."

Hiccup was dubious. "Are you sure about that?" he asked with a worried frown.

"Of course I am. Astrid told me she gets a little snappy sometimes," was Tula's response. "You wait, she'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

Hiccup wasn't sure, but decided he would take Tula's advice. Who knew a girl better than another girl, right?

Casting one last glance towards Astrid, he turned back to the work he had been doing with Tula.

-oOo-

Walking towards the Great Hall, Erik soon caught up with Astrid. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Nothing. He was a little busy …so I didn't want to interrupt," was Astrid's brisk reply.

Erik raised his brows and cast his eye back towards the forge where the other two were once again engrossed in their task. Placing an arm around her shoulder, he teased her, "Come on...I'll shout you to a bowl of stew. Gotta keep your strength up so I can challenge you again tomorrow."

Refusing to look backwards, Astrid grinned. "Told you I could beat you." She glanced at the muscular arm around her shoulder, and decided to leave it there. Hiccup wasn't available...but Erik was. And she needed a distraction right now to stop the pain in her heart from taking over.

Hiccup paused in his work when he heard the laughter coming from the direction of the Great Hall. Looking over he could see Erik walking with his arm around Astrid...and she was clearly enjoying it. Hiccup felt his heart grow heavy in his chest, the weight inside seeming to make it difficult to breathe. In his mind, that simple act confirmed his worst dreams. Astrid was losing interest in him, and turning to another man more qualified to win her affections than him.

He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was right in front of him. A peal of feminine laughter rolled towards him. For many years he had hoped she would be his, that they would eventually marry. Although they'd never really spoken about it, he had always thought the two of them had an understanding. Maybe he'd put too much into it, and now the truth was finally being revealed. Well...if that's how it was meant to be, he wouldn't stop it. He would support her choices in any way she wanted, even if his own heart was being torn apart. He only wanted her to be happy, even if it was with somebody else.

-oOo-

The next day, Hiccup was feeling grumpy and disgruntled. He'd had a poor night's sleep, his dreams filled with nightmares about his dad and Berk, and losing Toothless and Astrid. That morning, the Chief had argued with him about his idea for putting in internal pipes to bring water into the house, and as a result, it had taken him longer than usual to hurry over to the welcome warmth of the forge.

When Hiccup had rushed in, Vard had shot him down in flames for being so late and Hiccup didn't have enough good humor to deflect the sting. With his temper already beginning to build, he'd slammed into the first item of the day so hard that it had broken completely. As a result, he'd had to spend longer than normal to fix it. This meant he had been late heading to the Great Hall for lunch, a schedule he tried very hard to keep. The midday meal was fast becoming Hiccup's only chance to see Astrid each day and he didn't like missing it.

To top it all off, Brenda had come in to gently berate him for not taking enough care of himself and missing out on his meal…something he hadn't done voluntarily…and he had snapped at her. Hiccup had immediately felt guilty when he saw the hurt look on Brenda's face, and had stayed even longer to apologize and assure her he was under a little pressure today and he hadn't meant it.

So by the time Hiccup had finally arrived at the Great Hall, only to see the other three seemingly chatting happily and laughing together without him, his mood had darkened considerably. He had petulantly stomped over to grab a bowl of stew and sit at the table, but of course, Erik was already sitting beside Astrid.

He sat beside Tula instead.

Astrid flashed her blue eyes towards him. "Hey Hiccup, glad you could join us. We were beginning to think you had forgotten us," she said lightly, trying to tease him a little. She had felt bad about her jealous comment yesterday and wanted to apologize to him. She'd been keenly waiting for him all lunch break, but only Tula and Erik had arrived.

Hiccup's gaze turned towards Erik for a moment, before focusing again on Astrid. His patience had been spread a little thin already, and now here she was chiding him for not turning up on time? It was obvious that she had been enjoying herself while he had been working.

"Seems you had plenty to keep yourself occupied with. I'm sure you didn't miss me," was his snarky response.

Astrid's smile dropped noticeably, his words stinging. Hiccup saw the hurt in her eyes, before her guard came up and she gave him a cool glare.

"You're right…I barely noticed," she retorted, before rising from the table and leaving.

Hiccup went to chase after her, but Erik and Tula shook their heads at him.

"I need to apologize," he told them and turned to leave, but Tula grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Hiccup," she told him. "She'll be fine. You need to eat, you're about to pass out."

Hiccup felt torn, watching her go. He felt even more miserable at the mess he had created. He wondered how he was going to fix this. Everything seemed to be falling apart. And he couldn't understand why.

Erik stood up. "I'll make sure she's okay. Have some food, Hiccup." He stood up to leave.

Hiccup hesitated, and Tula reached over to grab his hand. "Come on…sit down and eat," she said quietly. "Erik will look after her."

Hiccup's heart squeezed tight at her words. He didn't want Erik to be the one who 'looked after' Astrid. It was another sharp reminder that he no longer held any importance in her life. Hiccup sank back down into his seat beside Tula. She gave him a quick one armed hug around his shoulders, and he shot her a small smile. He was grateful for Tula's company and her confident advice. She always seemed to know what to do, something that Hiccup sometimes faltered on. Especially when it involved a certain hot headed blonde woman.

Tula tickled his side and Hiccup gave her a thankful smile. There was something about Tula that made him feel he could trust her. She had fast proved to him her ability and determination to get the job done while working alongside him in the forge. They worked well together, even managing to have a little fun while they labored. He really appreciated her friendship, especially as the strain between him and Astrid had become so much more noticeable in recent weeks.

He gave a quiet sigh and turned his attention back to his food. He really did need to eat. His heavy workload was still waiting for him back at the forge.

-oOo-

Over the course of the next few weeks, Astrid trained harder, pushing herself to her limits. Every time she saw Hiccup and the brunette teenager together, she became more and more jealous. She hated the feeling and tried to drive it out with physical activity, her Viking pride not allowing herself to dwell on her weakness. Erik was with her most of the day, so she found herself drawing closer and closer to him instead, looking for a distraction from her confused feelings. She found him easy to chat with and he often made her laugh.

Erik was no Hiccup though, and that was part of the appeal. He was the complete opposite and Astrid thought that was what she needed…to not be reminded of the auburn haired man who had so captivated her heart. For it was blindingly obvious that Hiccup and Tula were now an item in the way they were so close to each other. Hiccup had sometimes tried to talk with her, but the look in his eyes made her want to do everything she could to avoid the conversation she knew was coming.

To Astrid, it seemed that Hiccup and Astrid's friendship had been only that…a friendship. Being away from each other hadn't made 'the heart grow fonder'…instead it had shown what had really existed. All those kisses and hugs they had shared…thinking of them made her thoughts spin uncontrollably, so she tried not to… had faded away when Hiccup had found another female that was more suitable to be a wife than she was.

She knew Hiccup as the Chief-in-waiting was going to need a bride to carry a son, and she was starting to feel that was the reason why Hiccup had kissed her, and not because of true love. She had no doubt that he had cared for her in his own way, but it was obviously not enough. Unfortunately for Astrid, she had painfully discovered just how much she truly loved him. But she had never expected things to end up like this.

-oOo-

Hiccup was becoming progressively more and more distressed. Every time he saw Astrid with Erik, his confidence would sink even lower. His skinny physique could never hope to match up to Erik's buff Viking shape, and Hiccup's ego was copping a huge bruising. He had wanted to talk with Astrid, but every time he tried she would brush him off, becoming increasingly distant with him.

Even though he knew he loved her with all his heart, he became painfully aware that Astrid had never told him that she loved him. He began to suspect that the kisses they had shared were more a reaction of wanting to find solace in a difficult situation, rather than true love.

But Tula never ignored him, so Hiccup found himself drawing closer to her. They worked together so well, and Tula was always patient and kind. She was intrigued with learning about the dragons, and loved to discuss his inventions with him. Sometimes she would covertly help him out while her father wasn't looking.

Hiccup appreciated everything she did for him…from getting up early to make them all breakfast, to keeping the forge clean and tidy. They even giggled over Vard's antics when the old man was having a particularly bad day. Tula could always make him laugh, even on his darkest days. And for that, he was grateful.

She wasn't Astrid….but she was available.

Hiccup found himself staying later at work, deliberately avoiding the lunch break so he didn't have to see Erik and Astrid laughing together, or the way Erik would place his hand protectively in the small of Astrid's back. He especially didn't like to see the raven haired man hugging her, or the way the two of them would talk together like old friends.

A strong stab of pain pierced through Hiccup's gut as he thought about it all. Not even the intense action of belting his blacksmith's hammer over the anvil could ease the hurt. He wondered how he was going to survive the rest of the winter season.

-oOo-

Day after day, week after week, it slowly became worse and worse. The more time they spent apart from each other, the more miserable they became. The more miserable they were, the more they tried to make themselves feel better by drawing comfort from their Torstein Village friends. When they were all together, Hiccup and Astrid remained cordial to each other, but neither saw the look of longing each held.

Tula was feeling triumphant. She could see the distance being created between the two long-time friends…and felt she had been successful. Marrying Hiccup was no longer a goal of her father's, but hers also. Her conscience would give a twinge every now and again, but she would push it down by telling herself that if Hiccup and Astrid were truly in love, they would have found a way to still be together. She ignored the little voice that reminded her of her part in keeping them separated. As it was, the two almost seemed to be avoiding each other now.

Plus, she felt that Hiccup genuinely enjoyed her company. He always smiled when he saw her, a sight that made her heart soar with joy. They fitted together so well. The only time they didn't, was when Hiccup took her flying. Try as she might, she found she wasn't so comfortable being in the air. Twinkle took great care to fly smoothly with her, but the more complicated maneuvers were beyond her. Tula had watched both Astrid and Hiccup fly, and they did it so effortlessly. It took her breath away to watch them.

Erik would stare longingly at Astrid so many times throughout each day. He couldn't believe his luck to have such a beautiful and talented woman by his side. Even if he had to push back the thought that she was supposed to have been Hiccup's. It didn't matter now. Those two had drifted apart, and Erik was keen to fill the void left behind. He still really admired Hiccup and his sharp mind. The other man had come up with inventions that already were helping the village. In fact, Erik was a little jealous of the man's ability to look at any problem, and come up with the right solution. Erik himself was being groomed by the Chief to take over the village when Hersker retired, and he could only hope to have such a man like Hiccup on his team.

But Astrid... Erik had fallen hard for her. She didn't seem to mind being with him. They would often laugh and joke together, then turn serious to test each other's physical limits. When they sparred, her toned body would often end up against his. Erik would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy those moments. Each day, his thoughts turned more and more to what it would be like to be married to Astrid. He knew the Chief already approved. Having her as Chieftess to support him would be a wise move. And his heart agreed. All that was needed now, was a proposal.


	13. Chapter 13 Heartbreak

The weeks of winter passed slowly by. During that time, Hiccup and Astrid had quickly regained their fitness and health; Hiccup had remade a complete set of saddlery for Toothless and Stormfly, plus new saddles for Ruby and Twinkle. He had also made the camping equipment that he and Astrid would need to fly home, but it had been packed away and almost forgotten. He didn't know what was to happen when spring was officially here.

The weather was already warming up, the last dredges of snow still clinging on before melting away completely. The dragons would be returning soon. Hiccup hadn't approached Astrid yet, to make plans to leave. He was frightened of what she was going to tell him. The previous evening, Hiccup had gone for his usual flight with Toothless but it hadn't been plain sailing.

Hiccup had taken to telling his heartbreak to his dragon during their regular flights. Toothless had listened closely the entire time. But as the end of winter approached, Toothless had become more and more agitated with his boy. Hiccup had thought the dragon was keen to go home, but Toothless had a different message to impart. The pair landed roughly, with Hiccup flying over the dragon's head and rolling on the ground.

"Toothless! What was that for?" complained Hiccup, sitting up and rubbing his head. Toothless circled him, swishing his tail in an agitated fashion, grumbling and roaring at the miserable man sitting on the ground.

"What? What do you want?" asked Hiccup in a lost voice. Toothless tilted his head towards the town. "I don't know what you're telling me," Hiccup said, sighing heavily. Stormfly had hunkered down in between Hiccup and Torstein, so Toothless nudged his rider towards the Nadder.

Hiccup shrugged helplessly, and Toothless growled in his agitation. This young man in front of him was one of the smartest men he knew...but sometimes he was thicker than a flock of Terrible Terrors. Toothless nudged again, and Hiccup asked, "You want me to ride Stormfly?"

The dragon shook his head, but nudged him towards the Nadder again.

"Astrid? Do you want me to see Astrid?"

Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes as if to say, ' _Bingo! We have a winner_."

Hiccup gave his dragon a flat look, "Droll, Toothless, very droll."

Toothless strolled past, whacking Hiccup with the end of his tail and knocking him over.

"Hey!"

Hiccup sat up, his shoulders drooping in defeat. "It won't matter, bud. I don't know if she even wants to go home...will you stop that?" he protested, as Toothless smacked him with his tail fin a second time. Hiccup found himself staring into the frowning and unimpressed face of a black, scaly Night Fury.

"What do you want me to do? Go talk to her?"

In answer, the dragon gave him an even bigger nudge towards the Nadder, knocking him flat to the ground.

"Alright, alright you big, overgrown lizard," Hiccup grumbled, fighting to sit up under the determined onslaught of the enthusiastic dragon. "I'll go talk to her. Are you happy now?"

Toothless sat back on his haunches with a huff. He gave a brief snort, keeping a suspicious eye on his rider.

Hiccup threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Wow, Toothless…you are relentless...Okay, I promise I will go talk to her. If I don't, you have my permission to knock me over again. Alright?"

Toothless gave a self-satisfied nod, finally allowing Hiccup to stand up.

-oOo-

The next day, Hiccup was distracted. He hammered into the metal without much focus. He needed to talk with Astrid, but how to do it? Thinking deeply, he barely paid any attention to Tula beside him, chatting cheerfully to him. She didn't have any work to do for the moment, so she was sitting on the bench swinging her legs. Her skirt was a little shorter today, but she couldn't get Hiccup's attention long enough for him to notice.

Hiccup misjudged his swing, smashing into his thumb.

Dropping the hammer, he swore loudly and nursed his bruised digit.

Tula was right beside him. "Oh Hiccup. Did you hurt yourself? Here, let me look."

Despite his objections, she took hold of his hand to inspect it.

"That looks painful. Let me make it better for you," she told him, giving him a sultry look.

Hiccup didn't even register the predatory gaze aimed at him. The pain in his thumb couldn't compare to the pain in his heart. He needed to talk to Astrid, to find out if she had truly fallen in love with the handsome nephew of the Chief. He had to find out where he stood while he still had time.

Tula was feeling a little frustrated that her efforts were falling flat on a distracted Hiccup. Deciding she needed to do a little more to gain his attention, she brought his thumb up to her mouth, kissing it slowly and deliberately.

She got his attention.

Hiccup stared at her. "Uh, Tula...what are you doing?" he asked warily.

"What do you think I'm doing...I'm kissing it better," she told him in a husky voice.

She continued to kiss his hand, inching up his arm and stepping closer to him. Hiccup tugged his hand back, his eyes wide in realisation of what she was doing.

"Uh...Tula?"

Tula took hold of both his hands. "Hiccup...you must know how I feel about you," she told him, almost desperately. "We've been together for long enough now...you make me feel special when I'm with you. I...I thought you felt the same way," she began, feeling him pull away from her.

Hiccup agitatedly pushed his hands through his hair, not believing what was happening. How did he not see this coming?

Looking back, it seemed obvious now that Tula had developed feelings for him. But he had been so obsessed over what Astrid was doing, it hadn't even registered what was going on under his very own nose.

"Tula, look...I'm sorry..." he began, but he didn't get much further before she shushed him.

Pressing herself up against him, and placing her hands flat on his chest, she sought to draw closer to him. Hiccup stepped backwards but found himself caught up against the bench, the amorous brunette unrelenting. He felt trapped, and searched around frantically for a way out.

"I'm sorry," he tried again, attempting to slip past. But she gripped his tunic tightly so that he couldn't leave without hurting her.

Tula bit her lip, feeling a little unsure now. She felt if only he could see her as a woman, and not just a friend, he would realise that he did care about her. Pushing herself even closer, she stood on her tip toes. Reaching up she firmly took hold of his stubbled jaw. Leaning backwards over the bench, Hiccup was forced to place his hands around her waist to prevent himself from tipping over. Tula took the opportunity to kiss him, putting all her heart felt desire into the act.

Hiccup was shocked at the sudden turn of events. For a moment, he was too stunned to move while Tula continued to kiss him, and he still had his hands around her waist. Then his senses came back to him and he wrenched his lips away from hers, sliding out from under her grip. The rapid action caught Tula by surprise and she stumbled.

"Hiccup?" she asked in a hurt and bewildered tone.

Hiccup kept as much space as possible between him and the determined girl. "Tula, NO...I can't do this. I only care about you as a friend...not as, uh...whatever it is you thought we were," he told her firmly, his hands up to keep her at bay.

Tears started to gather in the corner of her eyes. "But I...I thought you loved me too," she told him, her voice trembling.

Hiccup began to panic. He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry Tula. Despite everything that's gone on these last few weeks, I don't love you."

"We had something special," Tula protested, her eyes shimmering with unwept tears.

Hiccup took in a deep breath. "I'm really grateful for everything you and your dad have done to make us feel welcomed," he began. "...and you've been a great friend."

"Friend?" Tula growled, her eyes narrowing.

"...but I love Astrid. I always have...and I always will," Hiccup finished quickly.

Tula was angry. After all this time, and he only thought of her as a friend? She didn't want to be a 'friend'...she wanted to be his wife!

A pang of jealousy stabbed her painfully in the heart. All rational thought flew out of her head.

"Well, you should know that Astrid doesn't love you," she told him savagely. Hiccup gasped at the jibe.

"She loves Erik...and he has already proposed to her. She said yes," Tula finished cruelly.

Hiccup almost collapsed from utter shock as all the blood in his body dropped down into his boots. His hands shook and his face paled.

"No...she wouldn't do that," he whispered, not really sure if he could back up his own statement. He had seen them together.

"What's the matter, lover boy?" she snarled. "Been keeping yourself for her? She's moved on."

All his breath seemed to be sucked out of his chest, pinning him down. He had to get out of there. Struggling to get past the spurned brunette, Hiccup staggered towards the front of the forge.

-oOo-

Astrid finally had a few minutes to herself, where she wasn't being sidelined by Erik, or Tula, or even the Chief for that matter. The end of winter was almost here, and she needed to see Hiccup to find out what they were going to do next. It was a discussion she had been reluctant to have, as she feared Hiccup might send her on her way, while he stayed behind with Tula.

Just as she arrived at the forge entrance, the most unexpected sight hit her square between the eyes, one that confirmed all her worst fears. Hiccup and Tula were kissing, his hands around her waist while she was locked onto his face.

Astrid felt as if a powerful force had hit her directly in the chest, the pain so intense she staggered backwards.

Spinning on the spot, she turned and ran blindly away, not stopping to look where she was going.

Slamming into a solid body, she found herself being gripped firmly.

"Astrid?" said a familiar voice.

"Not now, Erik," she mumbled, weakly pushing him away. She didn't want him, or anybody else, to see her this way.

He held on, not letting her go. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" he asked gently, concerned over the tears he could see glistening on her cheeks.

She shook her head. The pain was too intense right now, she didn't want to discuss it with him.

Erik could see Astrid was distressed. He didn't know why, but judging from the direction she had come from, he had to assume it was something to do with Hiccup and Tula. He frowned, and gently drew her into his embrace.

"It's okay, Astrid. I'm guessing you're too upset right now to talk.

She nodded, uneasy about being in Erik's arms. He had hugged her before as a friend, but this seemed...different...somehow. Still, his presence was oddly comforting in its familiarity.

Erik tenderly wiped the tears from her face, Astrid's mind beginning to reel at the unexpected intimate gesture. What was going on?

"Astrid, you should know that you can talk to me," he told her gently. "I want to be here for you…always."

Alarm bells started to ring, but she was feeling very confused right this moment.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily, attempting to pull away.

He held her tighter against his chest and smiled at her affectionately. "Astrid, we share so much in common. We're both warriors, determined to do what needs to be done. We fit well together, and I know you have enjoyed our time together over winter, as much as I have. Astrid, you've come to mean so much more to me and I ….I want you to stay here with me."

Astrid became rigid in his arms. Her thoughts were already confused with the betrayal of Hiccup. Now Erik was saying he wanted her to stay in Torstein Village. As what? A warrior? A teacher? As a trusted confidant?

Her questions were soon answered when she found his lips pressed against hers. She didn't fight him. She allowed it. She did like him, after all. And now that Hiccup had found somebody else to love, who was she to reject this man holding her so tightly?

-oOo-

Hiccup had staggered round the corner of a building, not really sure where he was going, only knowing he needed to get away. Tula had told him that Astrid had fallen for Erik, the handsome warrior and nephew of the Chief. He couldn't blame her…they had somehow drifted apart over the winter, and she had spent most of her time with the raven haired man.

But the pain was tearing him apart. This was not something he would recover from quickly. It had only been a couple of months ago, that she had been in his arms. She had never told him she loved him…he had only assumed it. Now it seemed he had assumed too much.

He paused, his hand resting on the wall of the building. Looking up, he saw Astrid in the arms of Erik, being thoroughly kissed….and she wasn't stopping him.

Hiccup gave a strangled cry at the sight, needing to grip hard on the wall to keep himself upright.

NO…this couldn't be happening! Tula's words came back to haunt him, _'She's moved on.'_

A small part of him had believed that maybe it was a lie, but right here in front of him and everybody else, was the direct proof the girl's words had been true.

Hiccup felt as if his entire body was exploding with pain. He had never felt anything this intense, ever before. Turning away from the image of Erik and Astrid, he ran. Running past surprised villagers, he kept running until he had entered deep into the surrounding forest. He didn't stop till he came to the little shelter the four of them had built almost three months before. Falling to his knees, he bowed down low to the ground, his head hitting the dirt. There, he cried, deep and painful sobs wretched deep from within his soul. Nothing could soothe him in his distress. Not even his beloved dragon, who even now circled around him, wrapping a protective wing over his boy. Toothless could do nothing to ease his pain, except hold him tight.

-oOo-

Astrid had given in to Erik's kisses.

In the back of her mind, a message was becoming louder and louder. ' _NO, this is NOT right. Too much! Too soon. STOP this NOW!'_

Fighting against Erik's tight grip, she forced herself backwards and stood facing him, her face drawn and confused. "What do you want from me?" she cried.

Erik frowned a little. "I want to marry you. Isn't it obvious?" he asked, concerned that she hadn't gotten that part.

She shook her head vigorously.

"No, it wasn't obvious. I thought we were friends. Just. Friends," she said, emphasizing the last part. "I'm going home…to my family in Berk," she told him.

Astrid didn't feel that she could claim that _both_ her and Hiccup were leaving Torstein. For all she knew, Hiccup might be planning on bringing Tula home with him. Or even staying here. She didn't know anymore.

"But you like me…don't you?" Erik asked, completely baffled.

Astrid began to panic. "Look, Erik…you are a great guy, and I've had fun working with you these last few weeks. But I have to go home. I can't marry you, and I can't stay here. I have to go home. Do you understand?" she asked him, her bottom lip trembling from the emotional rollercoaster she was currently riding. She wanted to say she loved Hiccup, but that meant nothing now. Still, she didn't want to fall into Erik's arms just because Hiccup had refused her.

Erik appeared crestfallen. "So you don't love me? At all?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. And I don't even want to learn how," she said quickly, cutting off his next question. "Look...there's somebody special out there for you...it's just not me," she told him firmly, backing up.

Turning away from him, she fled.

-oOo-

Hiccup was very subdued after his breakdown in the forest. He had decided not to go back to the Chief's house, so he wouldn't have to run the risk of bumping into Tula or Erik, preferring instead to stay with Vard, or the dragons. Of course, he'd had to return back to the town but his misery had only been compounded by the rumors everywhere he went. People only seemed to be talking about one thing…the upcoming wedding of Erik and Astrid as soon as spring arrived.

Hiccup hadn't spoken to Astrid since…he had actively avoided her at all costs, fearing he would dissolve into an emotional wreck at the sight of her. He was barely holding on as it was. He had loved her for as long as he could remember, and wanted her to be happy. He just couldn't stand to be around to see it.

The weather had warmed up, and spring had officially started. Hiccup knew what he had to do. The time to go home to Berk had arrived. Quietly collecting the items he had made over the winter, he gathered his provisions and wrote a letter.

Three days after having his heart broken, Hiccup slipped the letter under the door of Brenda's hut where Astrid was staying, and walked into the forest without looking back. Toothless was waiting for him.

After double checking all the straps, Hiccup climbed into the saddle. Pulling on his new mask, he flipped it down.

"Okay bud…time we were out of here," he said quietly.

Toothless crooned sadly, his gaze on a bewildered Stormfly, shuffling uncertainly beside them.

Reaching out his hand, Hiccup spoke to the Deadly Nadder, "I'm sorry girl. Plans have changed. You stay here with Astrid and keep her safe for me…okay?"

Stormfly pushed her beak into Hiccup's hand, and trilled at him. "I know, I know. I expected things to go differently too. But I can't do anything about it. She loves Erik now…and I have to go. Goodbye, girl."

And with that, Hiccup was gone.

-oOo-

Chief Hersker was pleased. His plans seemed to be falling into place and soon there would be two important weddings in his village…Erik to Astrid, and Tula to Hiccup. Heading to the healer's hut to give a message to Brenda, he stopped to knock on the door then entered. He paused. The small dwelling was clearly empty. Turning to leave, his eye caught something on the floor. Picking it up, he saw Astrid's name on the front in Hiccup's handwriting. Frowning, he glanced quickly around to check for any witnesses before opening it.

 _Dear Astrid,_

 _I've heard the good news that you and Erik are to be married in the Spring. I congratulate you both. I saw the two of you outside the forge the other day, and it was quite clear you care about each other. I'm very glad that you found someone to make you happy. You know that's all I've ever wished for you...for you to be happy. I'm sorry our friendship faded away during the winter, but clearly Erik is a wonderful man, deserving of you. However, you know I have always loved you since we were children. I don't know if I could ever love anyone else but you, so you'll have to excuse me if I have to leave. I'm not sure what I will do yet, but I'll figure it out. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. But if you ever need anything, let me know. I'll always be your friend._

 _Hiccup._

 _P.S. Could you please say sorry to Tula for me? She mistakenly believed that I had fallen in love with her and tried to kiss me. I'm afraid she didn't take it too well when I told her I was still in love with you. I consider her a good friend, but there could never be anything more between us._

Hersker's hand shook as he read the note. His joyful mood turned into rage. How could this have happened? He had done everything he could to make sure his plans didn't fail. He had given them all the opportunities to draw close to each other. He had made sure Hiccup and Astrid were separated all winter long. There had obviously been only one drawback...Tula.

Marching out of the house with the letter held tightly in his hand, he went off in search of his errant daughter.

-oOo-

Tula was sitting at the table in her house attending to some sewing, when her father burst through the door.

"Father! Uh...something wrong?" she asked carefully, noticing the glare he had aimed right at her.

"Yes! _This_ is what's wrong," he declared, throwing the parchment down on the table in front of her.

Picking the letter up, she scanned through the words, her eyes widening in trepidation as she glanced back at her father's furious face.

"You failed!" he yelled. "You were supposed to make him forget all about Astrid and fall in love with you! Did I not give you enough chances to be with him? Did I not make sure they were kept separated? All of it so you could be married to the Dragon King this spring! Erik did his job. He and Astrid are to be married soon. So how did you fail?" he roared at her, making her cringe in fear.

"I'm sorry, daddy," she cried. "But he really loves her. I did my best, please daddy, you have to believe me. I...I even wore a shorter skirt and tried to kiss him. But he rejected me. I don't know what else I could have done."

Hersker's chest heaved in his rage. "Get out," he demanded of his only child. "Get out and don't come back till I can face you again."

Tula burst into tears and ran sobbing from the room. Hersker waited till the front door had slammed shut, then slumped into a chair, resting his head in his hands. What was he to do now? His small village was suffering greatly under the load of repression from other tribes, and they were unable to fight back. He had pinned his hopes on a marriage alliance with the more powerful tribe of Berk to better advance his own defenses and tribe's status.

Hersker knew he had no hope of approaching Berk's Chief with the request for their children to marry. Torstein had nothing to offer and if he tried, he would be laughed out of the room. And now, if his deception was discovered, he could have even created a dangerous enemy. One complete with dragons. Hersker shuddered at the thought.

It wasn't that Hersker was an evil or vindictive man. He did care about his people and treated them all with respect. But the dire condition of his village had turned him into a desperate man. His desperation to improve their lot had driven him to even consider tricking Hiccup into marrying his daughter. But it hadn't worked. And now with Erik and Astrid getting married, he would be forced to provide a dowry, one that he simply could not afford. What was he going to do?

-oOo-

Tula was still crying when she ran straight to Erik.

"Tula? What's wrong?" Erik asked in concern, gripping her arms tightly.

"Everything!" she sobbed, verging on the hysterical. "Hiccup's gone, and he left a note for Astrid but dad found it instead. He blames me for not making Hiccup fall in love with me," she cried.

Erik asked her slowly, "Why didn't he fall in love with you?"

"Because he's still in love with Astrid. I...I tried to kiss him, but he rejected me saying he could only ever love Astrid. Erik, I was so mad I told him that you and Astrid were getting married and that she didn't love him anymore."

Erik frowned, letting her go. "We're not getting married," he admitted. "Astrid doesn't love me either."

"She doesn't? Then why is everybody saying you two are getting married?" Tula asked in surprise.

"I told Uncle that we were...and I guess he told some other people," Erik said, his hand rubbing his neck in his embarrassment.

"Why did you do that?" Tula asked in astonishment.

"I thought we were, okay?" Erik defended himself. "I thought she liked me. I mean, she does...or she did at least...but not enough to want to marry me. She wants to go home."

"Does she know that Hiccup has gone without her?" Tula asked.

Erik shook his head. "No, I don't think so. She was training with the kids this morning. If she knew he was planning to leave, I'm sure she would have gone too."

Tula sat down on a nearby bench. "Erik, what have we done? It's all gone so wrong. I feel so guilty about all this. We shouldn't have played with their feelings to force them to break up. They love each other. What right did we have to mess that up?" she asked, as the gnawing pain of regret bit deep into her stomach. Thinking about the harm they had deliberately caused made her feel sick.

Erik sat down beside her. "I know. It's been eating me up since she said no. Tula...Hiccup would have heard the rumors too. I...I tried to stop them, but you know how people get around here. Hiccup probably thinks it's all true, and that's why he left."

Tula nodded. "He does. That's the message he left for Astrid. He said that he still loves her, and he wished her all the best, but he couldn't stay."

Erik looked at Tula with a very serious expression. "Tula, we have to make this right. We need to tell Astrid what happened. We can't let this go on any longer. Even if she hates us...and who would blame her...we have to get her and Hiccup back together. Maybe she can catch up with him."

Tula frowned, knowing he was right, but not looking forward to it. "I know. But I hope they eventually forgive us. I really do like them."

Erik gave a small smile. "Yeah, so do I."

-oOo-

A short time later, Astrid was standing before two very guilty and ashamed people, having been urgently pulled from her class. She was glaring at both of them, not particularly impressed with either at the moment. That opinion was about to get worse very soon, although she didn't know it yet.

"What is it you want," she asked tersely. "I have a class to teach."

Erik was about to say something when a small dragon crash landed onto Astrid's head. Apart from checking it wasn't about to fall off, she ignored it.

Erik couldn't help but stare. "Uh, Astrid? There's something in your hair," he pointed out.

"Well, thank goodness for that. I thought I was having a really bad hair day," she snapped back. Reaching up to carefully extract the Terrible Terror from her locks, Astrid sighed. "I don't know why we called you Shadow," she grumbled, unknotting a dragon foot from the long blonde strands. "You're not exactly stealthy."

"Do you know this little guy?" asked Erik, a little bemused by it all.

Frowning at him, she told them while she tucked the little dragon onto her shoulder where he wouldn't do so much damage, "Hiccup and I trained Shadow to send messages to each other before we got here. But he flew off with the others at the beginning of winter."

"Oh...okay. Umm, anyway...we have something that we really need to tell you. But first, Hiccup left this message for you," Erik told her apologetically.

Tula gave her the crumpled note she had stolen back from her father. "I'm sorry, Astrid. We never meant for things to happen like this," she whispered, causing Astrid to glance at her strangely, wondering what she meant.

Scanning through the note, Astrid's face became paler when she realised several things...Hiccup was gone because he still loved her and not Tula as she had believed, and that he had seen Erik kissing her and believed she no longer loved him.

She panicked, not really sure what to do. She didn't know how much of a head start he had on her, but she knew she wasn't staying here a minute longer. Except she had no equipment...Hiccup had been making all of it while they weren't talking to each other. The time it would take to get supplies meant the further away he would be, and she didn't even know which direction he was headed. He had the maps too. But she had to try. She went to rush off, but Erik's hand stayed her.

"Don't stop me," Astrid warned, quickly unstrapping her axe ready to fight him.

Erik shook his head, but backed up warily anyway. "We won't. In fact, we want to help you…to make up for what we did." He indicated behind them, where Stormfly shuffled restlessly on the outskirts of town. She was already saddled, and packed with supplies.

"But before you go…there's more you need to know," Tula told her quietly, guilt clearly marked all over her face.

Erik eyed off the axe still in Astrid's hand, "Er…can you put that away first, please?"

Astrid gave the two of them a hard stare, wondering what it was they were keeping from her. The idea crossed her mind that perhaps she should keep her axe handy….but she put it away instead.

Erik hid his sigh of relief, and hoped the lethal weapon would stay put while they told of their terrible deceit.

Astrid listened in stony silence as the two quickly explained everything… from the Chief's idea of allying the two tribes by marriage, and their part in separating Hiccup and Astrid by deception so that they would fall in love with them instead.

Erik finished the story by apologizing profusely. "We're so sorry Astrid. We know it was wrong what we did, but we didn't think it would end this way. Clearly you and Hiccup belong together, but we wanted you to know we really like both of you. We never meant for it all to fall apart like this. And we're grateful to you both for bringing Ruby and Twinkle into our lives. That would have been impossible without you both."

Astrid paused, fiercely glaring at him and then Tula. She was absolutely furious but right now, she urgently needed to leave and find Hiccup. They could wait.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't feel very friendly towards either of you right now," she told them coldly, flashing daggers at them both.

"Of course," said Erik, bowing his head in shame. She hadn't declared war on them, which was already more than they could hope for.

Astrid turned to sprint towards Stormfly, when Tula called out. "Astrid…we really hope you find him. Please…. Please tell him we're sorry," she begged.

Astrid gave no response, but turned and ran. She had a boyfriend to find.

* * *

 **See? The truth came out. *dodges missiles***


	14. Chapter 14 Dragon King

**A reminder, this is an 'adventure' story. What's adventure without a little trouble every now and again. Otherwise they'd be sitting at home knitting socks! How Boring…. (apology to those who like knitting socks)**

 **Enter at your own risk.**

* * *

A few moments later, Astrid was cursing profusely. She had barely made it over the trees hiding the village from the port when she saw the now recognizable symbol of the dragon hunters on the sail of a ship close to shore. The hunters were already on the beach, brazenly loading dragons into their cages. Of course, when the weather had warmed, their dragons had returned along with the wild population… something the hunters had obviously been expecting.

Astrid could see two very familiar dragons, Ruby and Twinkle being rounded up with the rest. She was now faced with a difficult choice…either she could chase after Hiccup…or she could stay and rescue the dragons.

The blonde shield maiden was torn between her desire to find Hiccup and make things right, or to do what she knew Hiccup would want her to do.

Screaming her frustration, she guided Stormfly back towards the ship, letting loose with a volley of flames over the deck, followed up by a projection of tail spikes making the hunters duck for cover. Very quickly, a flurry of arrows shot towards her. Astrid and Stormfly barrel rolled out of the way of the lethal projectiles, then turned to fly towards Ruby and Twinkle.

"Come on girl, let's show them they don't mess with us," she yelled, encouraging Stormfly to let loose another round of tail spikes at the men trying to force the Hobblegrunt and Monstrous Nightmare into cages. The hunters jumped back out of the way and the two dragons wasted no time in flapping their wings and gaining altitude.

-oOo-

Back in town, Erik and Tula spun around towards the distressed growls and explosions they could hear coming from the beach on the other side of the trees.

"What's going on?" asked Tula, as they both headed towards the noise.

Before they could reach it, Ruby and Twinkle came flapping frantically over the tree tops and landed in front of them. Their agitation and repeated glances towards the trees convinced the two cousins that they needed to get over there quickly. Leaping bare back onto their dragons, the pair flew over the trees…and gasped at what they saw.

"Dragon hunters!" yelled Erik, charging in to help Astrid and Stormfly.

Tula paused. She could barely fly at the best of times, and defensive maneuvers on dragon back had always frightened her. Erik, of course, was a warrior and had been taught to fight in the air by Astrid. He had no such qualms.

Tula turned Twinkle around and flew straight back to the village, screaming for her father at the top of her lungs. Men and women came pouring out from buildings all over town at the commotion, looking up at her.

She saw the Chief emerge from the Great Hall. Landing quickly in front of them, she ran over to him.

"Father! Dragon hunters! Erik and Astrid are fighting them, but they've captured some dragons," she choked out.

Hersker nodded grimly, and yelled for his warriors to gather arms and head towards the foreign ship. He had no love for the dragon hunters. In the past they had sometimes stolen his people as well as the dragons. But now they had two new reasons to keep them away. Pulling his sword out, he led the charge down to the fray, yelling fiercely.

Tula was getting ready to jump back onto Twinkle, when she saw a little dragon sitting on top of a fence close by.

"Shadow?" she wondered, checking the little guy out. Inspiration suddenly struck, and Tula raced inside the Hall looking for parchment and charcoal. Finding some where her father had been in the middle of a council meeting, she hastily scrawled a message. Picking up some string, she went back outside and carefully approached the Terrible Terror, who was watching her with a curious eye.

Shadow allowed Tula to come close to him. With trembling hands, the girl tied the note around the Terror's leg, and begged. "Please find Hiccup and give him this note. We need his help."

Shadow seemed to nod slightly before taking off. Tula watched him go with trepidation in her heart. Astrid had said the Terror had been trained to send messages between her and Hiccup. Tula could only hope the little guy had not forgotten his training.

Once Shadow was out of sight, Tula climbed back onto the Hobblegrunt and flew towards the dragon ship, hoping to keep out of the way and not fall off.

She arrived just in time to see Astrid and Stormfly go down hard into the ocean. Without proper backup, the two had fallen foul of a net, entangling both of them. They had no way of escape.

Erik was doing his best, he and Ruby sending flames everywhere they could, but he was not a seasoned enough rider to be where he needed to be. Unfortunately for him, the hunters were very seasoned at their jobs and he too, was soon floundering on the deck of the large ship with a blade to his neck.

Tula screamed at the scene, completely frightened. She flew back towards her father, who was struggling with a hefty hunter on the beach. The dragon ship had moved further along the coast, and was catapulting fiery missiles towards the small town. The port was already on fire and half destroyed, along with most of their ships. Their poor defenses were no match against the well-armed large dragon hunters ship. The hunters that were still on the land were more than capable of putting up a fight, and although their warriors had managed to bring a few down, it was clear the hunters had the edge.

Hersker took a blow to the head, knocking him backwards. Tula panicked and raced to land her dragon behind her father.

"Leave him be!" she shrieked, picking up a discarded sword to swing wildly at the hunter. There was momentary surprise in the hunter's eyes at the unexpected attack, but that soon changed to a full-throated roar of laughter as Tula held on to her weapon with both hands and swung again.

"Leave the fighting to the real men, little girl," he taunted, shoving her backwards and easily taking the sword away.

Twinkle became enraged and stepped forward to protect her rider, but squawked instead when she found herself pinned down to the ground with a net thrown by another hunter close by. The dragon and the young girl were quickly taken captive and dragged aboard the ship with the other two riders.

"NOOO! FATHER! HELP US!" she screamed.

The groggy Chief struggled to sit up at the sound of his daughter's voice, his vision blurred from the knock he had received.

"Tula, NO!" he cried, reaching out towards her. But it was already too late. He could do nothing but sit there helplessly, watching his daughter, nephew and Astrid being captured and taken into the depths of the dragon hunter's boat. Their dragons went down too, along with a few others. Hersker's men were lying injured or frustrated all around him while half of his little town burned, their ships damaged at the docks.

The remaining hunters on land jumped into small boats and rowed out to their mother ship, where the anchor was up and the sails already unfurled, ready to head out to sea.

The scene of gut wrenching despair was nothing new to Hersker. It had come to Torstein's shores many times before. But this time they had his daughter, his only child, and Erik, the next Chief of Torstein.

He sat there, completely devastated, watching the ship sail away…and unable to do anything about it.

-oOo-

Early the next morning, Hiccup was dismally poking at the dying embers of the fire. He had left Torstein yesterday, but had stopped on a small island to think about what he was going to do. Behind him lay the village where they had wintered...and heartbreak. He couldn't return there.

But forward lay Berk...and more heartbreak. If he arrived home on his own, there would be question after question about what had happened to them, and where Astrid was now. Having to explain ad nauseum that Astrid had fallen in love with another man and stayed to marry him would destroy any vestige of control he had over himself. Not to mention having to face the looks of pity that would be cast his way. The pain was still immense, and his heart was already crushing him. Having to go through all that as well would finish him off.

No, Hiccup decided, he couldn't do it. He couldn't go home yet. Instead he would... he would...what would he do? He wasn't really sure, but it seemed like the only way forward was to do what he had started a long time ago... and that was to go exploring. Maybe he could find some kind of peace for his troubled soul. And when his heart had stopped slowly killing him, maybe then he could find his way home.

Deciding with a nod that's what he would do, he began to pack up his small camp.

"Hey bud, how about you and me, we'll go exploring on our own and find out just how big this world is. What do you say?" he said to Toothless as he stuffed items in the saddlebag. Toothless gave a concerned warble.

"I know bud, but I…I can't go home yet. I can't go home without her," Hiccup choked, tears immediately threatening to fall. He hugged his dragon, taking deep breaths and holding on tight till he could get his emotions under control. Toothless crooned in encouragement.

Finally Hiccup was able to stand up and wipe the moisture away. "Thanks bud. It's going to be a while before I can talk about her without breaking down. But we'll be alright, I know it." He smiled sadly.

"Come on, time to go. We'll send dad a letter once we find one of the merchants heading towards Berk."

With that, Hiccup tightened the last strap, and swung into the saddle, his mask still in his hand. Toothless hunkered down, ready to launch, his wings stretched out. Hiccup leaned forward, waiting for the G-forces to push him down. But the split-second before they took off, a small dragon came flapping through the air, landing squarely in Hiccup's face.

"What the…?" he yelled, his voice muffled under the warm body currently squashed over his nose. Toothless gave a short roar of protest.

"Shadow? Where did you come from?" Hiccup asked, as he prized the Terror off and held him out at arm's length.

Shadow stuck his long tongue out and wiped over his eyeball, pushing his leg towards Hiccup.

"Oh…a note. Did Astrid send this?" Hiccup asked, his heartbeat quickening. She was the only person who knew to send a letter to him this way.

He almost wrenched the note off the little dragon's leg and stashed him on his shoulder before unrolling the parchment. An unfamiliar script met him.

 _Hiccup, Please help us. Dragon hunters are taking the dragons. Tula._

Hiccup pursed his lips and frowned at the words. Dragon hunters! Likely to be the same ones that had captured him and Astrid nearly six months before. Only moments ago, his heart had been filled with pain. But now it was filled with blinding rage. Hunters had caused immeasurable harm to him and Astrid, and he wasn't about to let this slide. He was several hours flight away from the island, and the little Terror would have taken a lot longer to find him. Which meant the hunters could possibly have already done their damage and left.

Hiccup grimly found a place in his saddle bag for Shadow to curl up in. He then put on his mask and flipped it down.

"Bud, we have to move. Dragon hunters have come to Torstein. We need to get back there…in a hurry. Are you up for it?" he asked urgently. In answer, Toothless roared loudly and took off into the sky, even before Hiccup had a chance to tighten his grip.

"I guess that means yes. Come on Toothless. Let's see how fast you can really go," he shouted in encouragement.

Toothless flapped his wings stronger in response, determinedly heading straight up into the clouds for the slipstream that would get them back to the village much quicker.

-oOo-

The black dragon and his masked rider arrived at Torstein village before noon. They didn't have to go far to see the carnage. The ships in the harbor were damaged and half sunk. Where there had previously been cosy little houses, now stood the charred remains of burnt and smashed buildings, the tendrils of smoke still floating in the air. People were aimlessly sifting amongst the debris, attempting to find remnants with which to restart their lives again. The haunted expressions on their faces was clear to see, even from his position in the air.

Hiccup frowned as he surveyed the damage. He had seen the remnants of the hunters equipment strewn across the shore, where they had obviously captured dragons so close to the town.  
His anger built up again, and despite having flown non-stop for several hours, his adrenaline was still pumping as he searched for somebody amongst the survivors who could tell him what had happened. He saw the Chief limping towards his home.

"Chief!" he shouted loudly.

Hersker looked up at Hiccup, with such a look of deep despair that a cold chill immediately ran down Hiccup's spine.

Hiccup guided his dragon to land in front of the Chief, jumping off before Toothless had finished settling his wings. He strode over to the shocked man.

"Chief, what happened?" he asked rapidly, grabbing the man by the arms.

"Hunters, they took Tula and Erik," Hersker murmured feverishly. "Astrid too."

Hiccup froze. "What?" he asked again in a low voice.

"Hiccup…I'm sorry, so sorry. They tried to stop them, but they were no match against the hunters. Your one dragon won't be able to stop them," he added urgently as Hiccup furiously jumped straight back into the saddle. "Hiccup, it's hopeless. Don't do it," he desperately begged the younger man.

Hiccup's face was dark and foreboding. "Oh, I won't be going alone," he promised ominously.

He and Toothless rose unitedly into the air, and hovered over the small town. Hiccup gently tapped Toothless on the head.

"Send out the call, bud. We're going to need some help for this one. They will NOT be taking Astrid again," he vowed grimly.

Toothless roared loudly, over and over. Hiccup joined in, cupping his mouth to give multiple dragon calls in all directions. Chief Hersker watched in open mouthed fear and trepidation, along with all the villagers that came from amongst the remains of their houses to stare up at them. The sight of the fearsome black dragon and his equally awe-inspiring rider made them all shudder at the sheer fierceness emanating from them both.

Toothless and Hiccup stopped their calls, and rose higher to search the surrounding skies. From the village, the only sound to be heard was the strong wing beats of the Night Fury as he held them both suspended in the air.

For a few minutes, nothing happened.

Then, a villager next to the Chief nudged him and pointed towards the horizon. Hersker's jaw dropped open in shock at the sight. There, flying towards them, was a crowd of about twenty dragons of all sizes and shapes heading towards Hiccup and Toothless. For the terrorized villagers, this was too much. People ran screaming, attempting to find shelter where they could, adding to the confusion of the surreal scene.

Hiccup merely stroked Toothless in appreciation. "Thanks bud. Now that backup has arrived, let's go find those hunters…and teach them a few manners."

Toothless gave a low growl in agreement, turning towards the ocean. Hiccup had time to give a quick salute of his fingers towards the dumbfounded Chief, before being surrounded by his loyal army as they headed out to sea.

-oOo-

Later that evening, Hiccup sat brooding by the campfire. All around him was a sea of snuffling and snoring large scaly bodies. He hadn't found the hunters that day, but he had been carefully checking the prevailing winds to see which way the ship would have sailed. He fully expected to find them the next morning.

Toothless shuffled beside him, curling up on himself and catching Hiccup's attention. He smiled at his draconic friend. Toothless would never let him down, and he had performed strongly and fearlessly today. They had travelled a long way and still had a lot of distance to travel yet. Looking over their new friends, he gave a wondrous grin at the way the dragons had all responded to the Night Fury's call. Some of them were from their original group that had been travelling with them since they were captured by the hunters all those months ago, and he had greeted them warmly. Many more were newcomers. Although he could see by the occasional scar visible in the moonlight, that dragon hunters had impacted them too.

He frowned again. Astrid was on the ship along with Tula and Erik. While he hadn't stopped to think about the consequences before leaping into action, he was thinking about it now. He had left Torstein yesterday, because he couldn't bear the pain of seeing her and Erik together. But now he was going to be forced to confront both of them…and he didn't know how he was going to handle it.

He thought of all the different reactions he could offer…congratulations on your wedding perhaps? Or maybe cold indifference. What about a quick smile then leap back onto Toothless and stay far away from her? Would he have to talk to her? Or could he be brief and efficient. Maybe let her and the others find their own way back while he took off from there? That definitely sounded like a good option to him.

Laying down on the ground with a sigh, he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the stars. There was no easy answer. He decided it might be easier to focus on finding them first. Everything else would just have to fall as it may. Closing his eyes, he fell into an uneasy slumber, filled with dreams of Astrid and Erik mocking him. _"She never loved you."_

-oOo-

After being shoved roughly into the cage by hunters, Astrid had mostly ignored Erik and Tula. Instead she had called out to Stormfly to see if the Nadder had been hurt. Stormfly had squawked her reassurance, so she knew she was okay. Ruby and Twinkle were too. But then a hated face had sneered at her through the bars.

"Welcome back, slave," said Ulf maliciously. "Where's your boyfriend? Did you lose him?" he taunted.

Astrid shot a withering glare back towards Tula and Erik before addressing the hunter in front of her.

"I'm no slave. And he'll be here soon enough. Then you'll wish you were the one in the cage," she bluffed savagely.

Truth was, she didn't expect Hiccup to come at all and her heart sank at the idea he would never know she loved him. The future looked very uncertain at the moment, but she refused to give in to her fears.

Ulf laughed at her, mocking her. "I doubt that. Maybe you'll find a new 'boyfriend'? There are plenty men here who will be happy to help." He eyed her off. "Maybe I'll be your 'boyfriend'," he suggested cruelly.

Tula whimpered in the background, and Erik held her tight.

Astrid frowned. When she had last seen this man, she had been weak and barely dressed. Now she was strong and wearing new clothes and armour. Although her axe had been stripped from her.

"Don't you remember the last time we met? Do you want more?" she taunted. She leaned forward and whispered lowly, "I can make it so you will never have a girlfriend again."

Ulf paled slightly and shuffled back half a step. He snarled at her, "There are no children here to do your bidding this time. There will be no escape." Turning, he quickly left the room.

Astrid slumped against the bars in defeat.

Tula asked in a trembling voice, "Is Hiccup really going to come? I sent him a note."

Astrid whirled on her. "You did what?"

Tula cringed. "I wrote a note and tied it to the little dragon's leg, the one you said was trained to take messages."

Astrid stared at her in astonishment for a moment, before she blinked and looked away. "I don't know if he'll get it. He left, remember? And even if he does, he'll have to find us. He's good, but he's only got Toothless with him. We'll have to find a way out of this ourselves," she told them, not daring to pin all her hopes on the missing dragon rider.

Astrid knew Hiccup would never give up on her, but if he believed that she was going to marry Erik, he….. she didn't really know what he might do.

"Oh," came Tula's small voice. "Astrid, we are so sorry for what happened," she sobbed. "I know you probably blame us for being here."

"Yes, I do," she told them savagely, rounding on them and pinning them with her hard stare. "If it hadn't been for your little...scheme...Hiccup would still be here, instead of flying off somewhere, believing that I don't love him anymore! Don't you get it? How much pain you caused? You know _nothing_ about him. He's probably going to think I never loved him at all. This will shatter him! Who knows _what_ he will do if he's thinking like that!"

Erik spoke up. "We are sorry. We never truly meant to hurt either of you. We were...selfish...believing that we could have what we wanted and everyone would be happy," he finished lamely.

Astrid turned away from them, suddenly feeling deflated. "I love Hiccup. And only Hiccup. I have for a long time. There never will be anyone else for me except him...and I have never told him that," she said quietly and forlornly.

Erik and Tula said nothing more, leaving her alone with her thoughts, their heads lowered in shame. They were right…she did blame them. But she also blamed herself. And now, she had lost her chance of finding Hiccup too.

-oOo-

The next day, Astrid was a little more cordial towards Erik and Tula, even if she was still smarting from their actions. They were in this predicament together, and she had decided it wouldn't be very helpful to any of them if they couldn't work together. Especially as Tula was so frightened, and had sobbed herself to sleep last night. She was no fighter, had never trained to be one. Erik was holding up much better, but Astrid could see he was fearful too. He was trained, but didn't really have much experience.

It was ironic really. Following Hiccup after he learned the truth about dragons, had actually led them into more battles at a younger age than was usual for Vikings. So, of the three of them, she was the only battle hardened warrior.

Suddenly, a commotion on the decks above got their attention. They could hear shouting and running, as the men obviously prepared for a confrontation of some sort. To her, however, there was only one reason….

"Hiccup."

Far above in the sky, Hiccup sat on the back of his Night Fury, contemplating the ship below. He and his dragons had already been noticed. Hunters were running to their stations, ready to launch nets and bolas to bring them down. The men's shouts rose up to him.

Hiccup leaned forward. "Hey, bud. Tell our friends to spread out a little. We want the hunters to know who they're messing with."

Toothless roared loudly, the other dragons responding quickly. Hiccup could see the hesitancy start on the ship as they drew closer and closer. Then...

"Night Fury! Dragon rider!"

Hiccup and Toothless barrel rolled forward directly towards the ship. Men leapt for safety as Toothless shot forth a plasma blast. Another burst of fire came from a Nightmare close behind him. Hiccup spun and fired on the bola launcher, blasting it out of commission. More dragons attacked relentlessly, very effectively rendering all the hunters weapons useless. It was clear these dragons had a grudge.

Hiccup circled around, keeping watch to make sure none of the winged creatures were hurt, Toothless shooting off the occasional plasma blast to keep the hunters at bay.

When all the weapons were destroyed, Hiccup and Toothless came in to land on the main deck, the dragon's huge black wings extended wide. Hiccup dismounted, standing before the wary hunters with his hands in the air.

"I don't want to harm any of you," he began. "I only came to collect my friends and their dragons."

A proud man stepped forward, evidently the captain and leader. "These dragons belong to Drago…and so do the slaves."

Hiccup frowned. "Why do you want to serve this….Drago? Dragons are kind, loyal creatures. If you show trust to them, they will become your best friends," he began, hoping for at least one man to stand up and display an interest.

He was to be sorely disappointed.

The line of hunters parted, and Hiccup gasped. Ulf's sneering face appeared…with a knife held at Astrid's throat. Her stance was mutinous, but her gaze towards Hiccup was sorrowful. Tula and Erik were behind her, their arms held tightly by two other hunters. Tula was fighting hard against terrified tears.

"You!" growled Hiccup to Ulf. "Let them go."

"Traitor," Ulf snarled back. "You will find no dragon lovers here. Drago will take _all_ of them…including your Night Fury. Now I suggest you leave…or you will be the last thing this girl sees."

Hiccup frowned darkly. He had hoped to teach these men a better way. But it was obvious they did not want to listen.

He indicated to the hovering dragons around them. "Do you really think you have any leverage against me?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

Ulf hesitated at the warning, and his hand holding the knife against Astrid's throat dropped slightly. For Astrid, it was enough. She grabbed at his arm, yanking it down and throwing the hefty man over her shoulder. Snatching the knife out of his hand, she very quickly had the other two hunters at her mercy, forcing them to release their captives.

Toothless blasted a couple of men who tried to interfere, with Erik dispatching another.

Hiccup had his blade Inferno out at Ulf's neck, keeping him on the deck while Astrid untangled the keys from the man's belt. She glanced briefly at Hiccup, but there was no time for anything more.

"Get the dragons!" Astrid yelled to Erik and Tula, racing back into the hold, with the other two on her heel.

The hovering dragons blasted the ship again, setting fire to the deck and the sails. Several men leapt overboard to escape the flames, the ship already starting to list.

Hiccup quickly mounted into the saddle, waiting anxiously for the others to reappear. It wasn't long before a small stream of dragons came flooding out of the doors, three familiar dragons the last to arrive with their riders. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief, watching keenly while Erik and Tula climbed onboard their dragons and launched into the sky.

Astrid and Stormfly were the last to leave, and Hiccup waited for Astrid to mount up. But to his agitation and surprise, she ran towards him instead and jumped on behind. He stiffened and was about to question her, but a sudden charge from an enraged Ulf and two other hunters made him delay that decision. Instead, he launched away from the boat with Astrid holding on tight, Stormfly following safely behind.

Finally, all four riders and the large crowd of extras, were all heading away from the sinking boat, back towards Torstein.

Aboard Toothless, there was silence. Hiccup was confused as to why Astrid was now clinging so desperately to him. He could feel her shaking as she obviously fought for control over her emotions, her breaths ragged against the back of his neck. His own feelings were in turmoil too. He had hoped to keep some kind of distance between the two of them…he never expected this.

"Astrid?" he asked in a trembling voice. "What's going on?"

"Hiccup..." she choked out, alarming him further.

"What's wrong? Did they hurt you?" he asked gently. He could feel her shaking her head against his back.

Finally she had gathered her senses enough to respond. "I'm not marrying Erik. I love you...only you," she cried earnestly.

Hiccup was utterly shocked at this revelation, a surge of hope already coursing through him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his mind unable to make the switch from the despair he had gone through in the last few days to ...this.

Hiccup listened carefully as Astrid poured out her hurt and devastation in explaining what Erik and Tula had done. She repeated over and over again that she loved him, that she had for a long time, and begged him to never leave her again.

During that flight, Astrid threw out every vestige of her Viking pride as she pleaded with Hiccup to believe her. She didn't care about any of it. The only thing of any importance right now, was to have Hiccup back where she needed him. But he was silent, although she could feel the incredible tension he held in his body.

Eventually, she too fell silent...and waited.

It wasn't until later that afternoon, when they were landing on an island to rest overnight, that he finally spoke.

Toothless landed first, the others straight after. Hiccup leaped out of the saddle and strode over to Erik and Tula.

"Are you both okay? Are either of you hurt?" he asked quickly.

Erik kept Tula beside him and shook his head. "No, we're fine," he murmured quietly, seeing the pent up rage in Hiccup's eyes.

Hiccup exploded, "Then what on earth were you thinking about? Trying to break up Astrid and I? Do you know how devastated I was? When I thought Astrid was in love with you? I thought I was going to go crazy! Gah!" He pushed his hands through his hair in frustration and paced away from them.

Erik said quietly, "We're very sorry Hiccup. We should have stopped this at the beginning…"

Hiccup turned on him, his gaze furious. "Yes…yes you should have." He looked as if he was going to say more, but turned back to Toothless instead. Pulling some food and a fur out of the saddlebag, he tossed these towards them. Erik caught it easily.

"You two…stay here," Hiccup demanded. "Astrid and I will be over in that direction…away from you!" His eyes blazed at the two, who shrunk under his furious glare.

Guiding Astrid away, Hiccup left them to set up camp for themselves, while he and his reinstated girlfriend travelled further round the corner with their dragons.

-oOo-

It took a while for Hiccup and Astrid to talk through all the misunderstandings, and betrayed feelings that had occurred over the winter. They sat on opposite sides of the fire, pouring out their hearts to each other across the flames. They stayed apart, not wanting to muddle their conversation with physical contact.

Astrid also told him why Erik and Tula had acted the way they did…and that Chief Hersker had been the one to instigate it.

Hiccup could mostly understand the desperate reasoning behind the man's actions…although that didn't mean he was ready to forgive. His heart had been ripped right out of his chest, and it was going to need a little mending first.

Finally, hours later as the moon drew to its highest point in the clear night sky, they had said all there was to be said. The air had been cleared, all the half-truths straightened out.

The sleeping dragons around them snuffled and shifted, providing the only sound except for the crackling of the fire. Astrid was leaning against a tree, and Hiccup was standing on the other side of the fire. Her gaze flicked from the flames, over to him. The way he held himself made her pause.

He was staring at her with dark, brooding eyes, the firelight flickering over the heights and depths of his angular face. She felt she had never seen him look more attractive than at that very moment. His confident stance, and that look. He was hungry...hungry for her.

He stepped forward towards her, his pace measured and meaningful. Astrid sucked in her breath, mesmerized by him, not able to look away for even a moment. He stood right in front, towering over her and forcing her to look up at him. They were so close they were almost touching. Astrid dared not move, even as his hand reached up to cup her jaw. Her eyes half closed as he moved in, lightly at first, then crushing her lips with his. She couldn't help her reaction, her arms had a mind of their own, encircling his neck and pulling him in tighter. Hiccup slid his other hand around her waist and jerked her body to his, closing that last tiny gap, till they were one.

The stars and the moon exploded as the sensation of his lips on hers, his hands over her body, became overwhelming. This kiss was like nothing she had ever experienced before, and she wanted more. Astrid was greedy for him, demanding every ounce she could take from him. Desire was flooding through her veins and she knew...she was loved. He loved her with his whole being, just as she loved him. There was no denying it or pushing it aside anymore. He belonged to her and she belonged to him. Nobody would ever get between them ever again.

* * *

 **There, see? Back together again! All that panic for nothing…**


	15. Chapter 15 Apologies

**Thank you for all your wonderful support. Hiccstrid again. Yah!**

 **And no, Hiccup and Astrid didn't go 'all the way'. But their commitment to each other certainly went up several notches.**

 **I also need to clarify something. I keep stating this story will run into httyd2, but I don't intend to follow their script. That story has already been written. This one does things a little differently.**

* * *

The next morning, Hiccup and Astrid strolled back round to where they had left their friends. The fact they were holding hands, and had loving smiles on their faces made Erik and Tula feel they could relax a little. Although they were still a little cautious as to how Hiccup would act towards them.

Hiccup eyed off his 'friends' with great reservation. Having Astrid back in his arms had slowed down his anger quite a lot...especially as they were able to talk through everything last night. Neither of them were really vengeful people, although it didn't mean they were ready to be best friends with the two cousins just yet. They had decided they would be cordial for now. And if Erik and Tula could show they were genuinely sorry...then perhaps they would think about it.

Hiccup smiled thinly at their anxious faces. "Don't worry guys, I'm not about to bite your head off," he told them. The two gave a sigh of relief. "Don't expect me to trust you anytime soon, though," Hiccup warned.

Erik nodded. That was already more than they deserved. He stuck his hand out. "We're still sorry."

Hiccup shook it in reply. "I know. Let's get moving, shall we?"

Everyone agreed, so they mounted their dragons and took to the skies.

-oOo-

Chief Hersker was an incredibly anxious man. It had been three days since the hunter's attack, with the loss of three very important young people, possibly four. He hadn't even included the few men that had lost their lives defending their home. The raid had not been a new experience, but with such a small village as his, any loss was great. But when each one had meant so much to him personally, the blow was immense.

He struggled to breathe, to comprehend what had happened. Their town lay in ruins, with no hope of completing repairs before the end of spring. He'd already sent off a messenger requesting help from their allies…although he knew it would come at a cost. It always did. How was their small tribe to survive after this? He didn't know.

He needed to be the Chief and find a way to get the village back on its feet again, but everywhere he looked, he saw shadows of his daughter, his beautiful daughter. The one he had yelled at because Hiccup had not fallen in love with her as he had planned. On top of his sorrow, the Chief was drowning in guilt and shame.

His attempts to ensure some prosperity to his people had back fired in a tremendous way, one that he could never have foreseen. In trying to gain more, he had lost it all instead.

When Hiccup had commanded the dragons to follow him, it had made Hersker realise that trying to marry off his daughter to somebody with that much power and charisma, had been an infantile grab at something he knew nothing about. Something he should never have started. If he'd had the chance to do it all over again, he would have stopped it right there. The cost had been too high.

Hersker was still wallowing in his misery when Brenda came over and had to practically shake him to gain his attention.

"Look!" she shouted, pointing out to sea.

Hersker looked. He saw a wondrous sight, a crowd of dragons...with Hiccup and Astrid leading them in. Hersker's heart was in his throat but his turmoil was soon eased when Erik and Tula pulled out from behind them. He gave a huge sigh of relief, a single tear escaping unnoticed down his cheek.

All of the villagers came out to welcome them back, a rousing cheer loud and joyous. It was a spectacular entrance, with all the dragons coming in to roost on various structures, including the village centre.

Hersker ran straight towards his daughter, his arms opened wide as she tearfully fell into them. Holding her tight he apologized profusely for his hurtful actions. Erik came close, and Hersker pulled him into his embrace as well, glad to have them all back.

Finally, they reluctantly pulled apart, Hersker wiping the moisture from his cheeks. Erik saw him gazing in confusion at Hiccup and Astrid standing so close together and watching their little reunion.

"Uh…sir. Just to clear things up…Astrid and I aren't getting married. She still loves Hiccup," he told the Chief.

Guilt immediately flooded through Hersker, and he faced Hiccup with a hesitant expression. "I owe you an apology," he began slowly.

Hiccup glared at him coldly. "It would seem, that you tried to take advantage of us, Chief Hersker," Hiccup began, his voice laced with fire and venom. "We came here in desperate need, and although Astrid and I were willing to work for everything that you provided…it seems that wasn't enough for you, was it?" he spat out.

Hersker lowered his gaze in shame. "No. I…I foolishly thought that a marriage alliance with your tribe would help guarantee a more prosperous future for my own," he admitted.

"It didn't matter to you at all that I already loved Astrid? That I plan to marry her one day?" Hiccup asked, stepping forward in his rage.

Hersker shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I was desperate, and didn't think things through," he said apologetically.

Hiccup came closer, his brows drawn in anger. "What you have done…the pain you have caused…" Hiccup paused as his emotions overwhelmed him.

Astrid stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Hiccup's arm. "Hiccup…it's okay. They're sorry," she pointed out, as the three offenders all stood with their heads hung low. Indicating the ruined village around them, she reminded him, "They've paid the price. What's done is done."

Hiccup gazed at her, his expression pained and haunted. He turned to take a closer look around him, seeing all the villagers staring at them with hopelessness in their eyes, their devastated village a stark reminder that these people were suffering too.

Hiccup took in a deep, shuddering breath and shook himself. Astrid was right. They weren't the only ones feeling distressed. It was time to do what was right. Ironically, it was he and Astrid, the very ones unable to stand on their own two feet only three months ago, were the ones who could help the most.

Hiccup approached the down trodden Chief with his hand outstretched. Hersker hesitated, then took it in his own.

"Chief Hersker, I can't say I'm willing to trust you just yet, but I accept your apology. And as a sign of goodwill, I offer to help you and your family rebuild Torstein…along with some help from the dragons." Hiccup indicated to all the dragons still watching them with great interest. "If you allow me to design some ways you can improve the safety and defences of your town."

Hersker felt the urge to pinch himself. This was unbelievable…that this young man in front of him, that he had wronged so badly, would turn around and offer to help him? And not only that, he also wanted to help improve things? He surely must be dreaming.

Hersker's grip was strong, and his smile was wide. "Well, you certainly make a hard bargain…but who am I to refuse?" he said, laughing loudly in relief.

Hiccup grinned. It was time for new beginnings. And why not start right here?

-oOo-

Though Hiccup and Astrid were keen to go home, they felt they couldn't leave until the town of Torstein had been rebuilt and improved. With the aid of their dragons, plus many of the wild population who had curiously decided to stay, houses had been quickly rebuilt. Hiccup and Astrid were both back with Brenda, who was very grateful to have them under her roof once again where she could keep a motherly eye on the young couple. Although, Hiccup did end up spending a lot of time with Chief Hersker at his own home, plotting and planning for new watch towers and other methods of strengthening their defences.

Astrid was usually right beside him, offering her sage words of advice which Hiccup always considered carefully. Erik would watch in amazement at how the two of them worked so well together, and in these moments, the bitter bite of regret would sneak in and pinch him. He had wanted Astrid by his side, but it was easy to see the blonde warrior was right where she needed to be.

The four young people had hesitantly reformed their friendship. Although, perhaps a little more reserved than before. Trust was going to be a little hard to earn the second time around.

That in itself didn't stop them from flying their dragons together, which was something they all enjoyed. Even though Tula still was a little wary of performing the tricks that the others did with ease, she bravely kept up as best she could.

In between the rebuilding and restructuring, Hiccup and Astrid had been delighted to teach some of the villagers how to train their own dragons…including Chief Hersker.

Hersker had been surprised one day, to find a large Deadly Nadder stalking him through the town, his massive head turning from one side to another as he stared at the Chief curiously. The Chief had tried to ignore him for a while, but eventually was forced to confront the huge beast.

"What is it that you want?" he asked the Nadder. The dragon squawked and drew closer to Hersker, eyeing him with his steady gaze.

Hiccup was standing beside Hersker at the time and grinned knowingly. "He likes you. Why don't you place your palm out like this?" he demonstrated, "And watch what happens next."

Hersker gulped, but obeyed Hiccup's instructions anyway. Extending his palm outwards, and turning away, he didn't have long to wait before he felt the large beak push into his hand. He felt a thrill run through him at the trust he had been given, and he stroked the scaly face in wonder.

"There you go….you now have a bonded dragon," declared Hiccup victoriously. "All you need to do now… is name him."

Hersker thought for a moment. "Striker," he decided firmly. The Nadder squawked in acceptance and Hersker grinned. "Look at you, you gorgeous creature! A beast fit for a Chief," he said proudly.

Hiccup laughed. "Couldn't have said it better myself," he chuckled.

Of course, with all the extra riders and dragons, saddle making became a sudden urgency. Tula, surprisingly, stepped forward to take on the challenge. She hadn't forgotten the lessons she'd learned from Hiccup during the winter and was willing to put that knowledge to good use. Hiccup spent time teaching her and old Vard, the intricacies of leather working and it wasn't long before she was expertly cutting and sewing her way through several saddles.

The day she gave her father his saddle that she had created with her very own hands, was a proud moment for both father and daughter. It made the Chief realise that Tula was growing up into a wonderful young woman, and it gave Tula a sense of achievement to know she was useful for something other than marriage alliances.

Several youngsters started to show an interest in helping with the saddles, so Hiccup and Tula were quick to involve them. Even old Vard, who had always been cantankerous, started to enjoy having others around. With Hiccup leading the way, the young ones soon learned how to appreciate the old blacksmith. Two of them even expressed a desire to learn blacksmithing under his tutelage. Which pleased Hiccup and touched old Vard's crusty heart. He took them both on.

Hiccup and Astrid, of course, spent as much time together as they could, relishing the opportunity to let each other know how they truly felt. All the misunderstandings had been cleared, and their deepest emotions revealed. They both knew they would never have to doubt each other again.

-oOo-

About three weeks after the hunters attack, Hiccup and Astrid were standing beside their dragons in the forest, staring at each other with heavy hearts.

"It's time, Astrid," Hiccup said gently.

She nodded despondently. "I know. Isn't it ironic that when we first came here, we couldn't wait to go. And now it's time to go, we don't want to leave."

Hiccup agreed. "Despite everything, this place has really grown on me." Toothless nudged him. Hiccup laughed, giving his scaly friend an affectionate scrub. "I know you like it here too, don't you bud?"

Toothless crooned in response, Stormfly adding her chirp in too.

Astrid sighed, hugging the Nadder. "Yeah…but we need to go home and let everyone know we're okay. They'll still be worried about us."

Hiccup told her, "I'm sure we can come back at some stage. In fact, I know we'll need to come back. I plan to ally Berk with Torstein before we go. I'm sure dad will be pleased with that."

Astrid nodded. "I'm sure he will. We've done all we can for Torstein. They're better prepared and defended with the dragons helping out."

Hiccup sighed. "Well, let's get this over with. Time to let Chief Hersker and Brenda know, plus Erik and Tula. We'll need to pack so maybe we can go in two days?"

Astrid smiled sadly. "Two days it is then," she said, before both climbed back into their saddles to fly the short distance into town.

-oOo-

The next day was both a joyous and a sad one. Hiccup and Astrid were getting ready to leave the following morning. This time however, they were fully prepared with all the equipment they needed plus a map to direct them towards Berk. It would take about two weeks to fly home, months if they had gone by boat.

But first….

"There," said Hiccup, signing his name with a flourish. He gave the parchment to Chief Hersker, who also signed the alliance agreement, officially uniting their two tribes.

"Done," agreed Hersker, smiling fondly at the young lad in front of him. His smile dropped a little. "Er…I thank you for this generous deed Hiccup, but …I hope you have truly forgiven me for what I have done," he told him sincerely.

Hiccup waved his hand dismissively. "All water under the bridge, I assure you. Let's put the past behind us and focus instead on a prosperous future," he told the other man generously.

Chief Hersker smiled. "Thank you, son. I really appreciate that. Anytime you need anything…just let me know."

Hiccup grinned. "Only if you promise to do the same."

Hersker stuck out his hand and Hiccup was quick to take it up. "Done!" he said firmly with a nod.

The warning horn sounded, causing both men to look up. Heading outside of the Great Hall, a dragon rider approached them from the air.

"Chief!" she called out. "Ships approaching!"

Hersker tensed. "Did you recognize their crest?" he asked quickly.

"Rageri," she answered.

The Chief frowned. "What do they want?" he grumbled to himself.

"Problems?" asked Hiccup.

Hersker shook his head. "No, they are our allies. Maarav is their Chief. He's a good man…just not the sharpest weapon in the armoury."

Hiccup's brows raised high, as he silently mouthed 'oh'.

Hersker added thoughtfully, "I sent out messengers after the hunters attacked...before you got here. Maybe he wants to help us rebuild?"

Hiccup chuckled, looking around at the newly restored village. "Well, he might be in for a little shock then."

The two men climbed aboard their dragons, and flew towards the port to wait their arrival. After dismounting, their respective dragons stood patiently beside them as the main ship docked. The other two ships remained anchored out in the bay. Finally, Maarav himself walked down the gangplank. He was a solidly built man, but not as wide as Hersker, his thin blonde hair starting to bald. The clothes he wore signified him as the Chief, but he walked with a long suffering air about him.

Spotting the two dragons casually sitting behind their riders, Maarav paused in complete wide-eyed astonishment. Hersker strode forward anyway to extend his hand in greeting to the visiting Chief.

"Welcome Maarav. What brings you here?" he asked bluntly.

Maarav couldn't keep his eyes off the dragons. "Uh…we were told that your village had been destroyed by dragons…and we came to offer our help," he said vaguely, his eyes huge and glued to the scaly beasts.

Hersker chuckled. "Well as you can see…that's not true. And I must warn you now, you and your people are welcome to stay, but you must agree NOT to hurt a single dragon while you are here. They are part of our village now," he told the other man firmly.

A dragon with its rider flew by at that moment, and Maarav pointed upwards. "Does that dragon have a….rider?" he asked, completely gobsmacked.

Hersker grinned. He liked being in this position. Maarav had often given him misguided looks of pity in the past, but now it was he that had the upper hand.

"Yes," he said casually, as if Maarav was a small child that needed to be patiently taught. "You'll see plenty of dragons with riders here now."

Maarav's eyes gleamed with interest as his attention came back to Hersker. "I would love to hear how this all happened. Would we be able to stay and find out?"

Hersker laughed jovially. "Of course! In fact, we are having a celebration tonight in honour of the young couple who made all this possible. You and your men are welcome to join in."

Maarav gave an insipid grin. "Thank you. We will certainly add our own offerings to the table, seeing as we have come unannounced. And I will make sure my men know not to touch your dragons."

"Good…now let me introduce you to Hiccup, heir of Berk," said Hersker proudly, leading the other Chief over to where Hiccup was standing.

The two Chiefs and Hiccup were engrossed in polite conversation, when Erik and Tula finally arrived with Astrid. Their dragons immediately headed for Striker and Toothless, convincing them to run and play with them. So by the time Maarav's second in command rowed in, the dragons were already out of sight.

Evening was fast approaching, a light mist rolling in from the cold sea when a large, well-muscled man with square features stood on the dock. His guards followed him.

Erik greeted him as the Chief's heir. "Welcome Vadik," he said formerly, extending his hand.

Vadik raised a disparaging brow at the young man, flicking his gaze towards the Chiefs further away. He shook Erik's hand perfunctorily, obviously put out by Hersker not being there to greet him personally… as was customary with such an important man as himself.

Looking around, he noticed the new buildings in the town but didn't see any of the dragons. He hadn't heard any of the exchange between Hersker and Maarav so didn't know about the dragons new status within the village.

"I see the rumours about your village being destroyed by those scaly beasts are false then?" he enquired disdainfully. "That's a pity," he added, making Erik stumble.

"Uh…no, we're good," Erik told him, his eyes wide.

Behind him Astrid and Tula shared a quiet giggle at the man's expense. This brought Vadik's sharp focus on them. His eyes lit up at seeing the beautiful blonde shield maiden.

He walked towards her, "Ahh…I see you are new here. You're very beautiful you know."

Astrid raised an eyebrow at him. "Thank you?"

Vadik glanced appraisingly over her form, causing Astrid to frown. "My son needs a wife, a woman of your beauty would do him well. Tell me maiden…are you married?" he asked slyly.

"No," she replied with a snort.

"Are your parents here to speak for you?" he asked.

"No, they're not," replied Astrid, becoming wary.

"What about this island? Does Chief Hersker have a claim on you?"

Astrid flicked a quick glance towards an alarmed Erik. "No…of course not."

The man gave an oily grin. "Then there is no one to lay claim on you, so that means you are free to become a wife for my son."

"I doubt it," said Astrid firmly, giving the man a fierce frown and crossing her arms.

Vadik gave a nasty sneer. "Why would you refuse? I am the most influential person on my island…and the surrounding islands. A beautiful woman like you needs to be on the arm of an important man…like my son," he boasted.

Astrid rolled her eyes. She hadn't thought it possible to meet someone with an ego larger than Snotlout's, yet here he was. Only bigger…and hairier.

"Er…wouldn't the most important man be your Chief?" she asked pointedly.

Vadik answered haughtily, "I'm the one who advises the Chief on what to do…therefore I am the most powerful."

"I'm sure your Chief would love to hear your proclamation about your importance being more than his."

Vadik reddened angrily at being caught out. "Of course Chief Maarav is the most important. He is the Chief after all. I was merely laying down the facts of my own…and therefore my son's…influence in this area. You must have misheard me," he said, quickly back peddling.

"I'm sure," deadpanned Astrid.

"But my son still needs a wife, and a pretty maiden such as yourself, would do him well," Vadik continued, not even registering the armour that Astrid wore.

"I am a shield maiden…not eye candy," said Astrid, her hands clenched. She was getting really annoyed with this guy, and the idea crossed her mind to correct this man's thinking the way she did with Snotlout…with an axe. She knew he was a visiting dignitary and this was not her island, but it didn't really matter at this point.

She unhooked her axe.

Vadik waved his hand dismissively. "Women don't fight. Especially not women like you."

Astrid was ready to show him how she did fight, so she tightened her grip on her weapon. Hiccup chose that moment to walk up behind her, placing a steady hand over her own.

"I'm afraid sir, you've been misinformed. Astrid is one of the fiercest fighters in the entire archipelago. There are a lot of men who will testify to that. I know…because I'm proud to have fought beside her on many occasions… She also happens to be my betrothed," he said calmly.

Vadik paused to caste a disparaging eye over the thin man before him. "You?" he sneered at Hiccup. "You are nothing more than a dry weed in the breeze. What have you got to offer? She would be much better off with my son." Vadik gave a mocking laugh. "He's a big, strong Viking lad. She'll enjoy him making a woman out of her."

The men behind laughed raucously at the comment while Astrid scowled. Erik and Tula pressed forward towards their friends.

"Hiccup has more than enough for me," she informed Vadik coldly.

"Yeah? Like what?" the pompous brute directed his challenge to Hiccup.

Hiccup gently pushed Astrid to one side, and stood straight and proud. His body may not have been the 'typical' buff shape that Vikings accepted, but the fierce scowl on his face as his brow furrowed and his lips thinned in determination gave the spectators a hint of why this man was different.

He raised his arms out to the side and stood there. The men from the ship became a little nervous, although they weren't really sure why. The mist swirling around him made the scene a little more surreal.

Maarav had become aware that something was happening and started towards the young couple. Hersker held him back. "Wait and see," he suggested.

Hiccup brought his hands round to cup his mouth. Astrid gave a satisfied smirk, knowing what was coming. He gave a bone-chilling dragon roar, making his audience jump. What happened next, left them with their mouths agape and their eyes bulging wide. Two huge dragon shapes suddenly loomed out of the mist beside him…a Deadly Nadder under one arm, and a Night Fury under the other. The two attentively nuzzled him, while he chuckled and affectionately scrubbed under their chins.

"What the…?" gasped Vadik. "What demonic force is this?" he demanded, his voice quivering with fear.

Hiccup shook his head. "I assure you, there is no magic, no demons….just trust with the dragons." He beckoned to Astrid to join him. She did so, giving Stormfly and Toothless a loving scratch too.

In the background, Erick and Tula were grinning like fools, loving the drama.

Hiccup watched Astrid, and when she had turned back to him, he lovingly drew her to his side, a possessive arm around her waist. Astrid was happy to lean in, an eyebrow lifted smugly at the dumbfounded men before them.

Hiccup continued, "We care for them…and they in turn…" he suddenly pointed a menacing finger at Vadik, "…protect us," he growled lowly.

At that, the two dragons took their cue and turned a serious eye towards Vadik and the group of men behind him, striking an imposing battle stance. The heat built up in their mouths as they prepared to fight against the perceived threat to their riders.

The group of burly Viking men all gasped and scrambled back from the frightening imagery in front of them, but they were still on the dock and had nowhere to hide.

Hiccup was still staring down Vadik, while his men were nudging him, silently pleading with him to take back his threat.

Vadik nervously cleared his throat. "Um…that's quite an impressive display you have there," he started out, carefully eyeing off the dragons as he attempted to save face. "I can see you have a lot of …raw talent, to offer her…and you have a previous commitment, so I'll give you some slack."

He sniffed and grabbed the edges of his tunic, trying to look casual. "Err…do those dragons bite?" he asked, fairly timidly for all his earlier bravado and pompousness.

Hiccup twitched a corner of his mouth, and his eyes shone with wry humour. "Only if they don't get enough fish…" he warned, leaving the sentence hanging.

The result was comical to watch as several muscled men raced to their ship to bring back a barrel full of smoked fish as a peace offering. Toothless sat back on his haunches and gave a self-satisfied huff while the men anxiously served him and Stormfly.

Hiccup and the others had to hide their grins behind their hands as they watched the display. Vadik's men inched around the dragons with terrified expressions, while the four friends all knew that Toothless was really just an overgrown puppy.

Behind the group, Hersker laughed heartily and Maarav grinned in delight.

Hersker clamped a meaty hand on his guest's shoulder. "Come…let us head towards the feast, where we will tell you the story of the 'Dragon King' and his dragons," he said loudly.

Maarav followed him eagerly.

-oOo-

That night, the Great Hall was full to overflowing with villagers wanting to wish Hiccup and Astrid good fortunes on their trip home, and curious visitors from neighbouring Rageri. Chief Hersker had the young couple sitting at the 'U' shaped arrangement of tables as honoured guests, with Chief Maarav and his men filling in the other spots.

Hersker was proudly boasting to all who would listen about the exploits of Hiccup the 'Dragon King' and Astrid the warrior, telling how the pair had changed their lives for the better. Of course, he kept silent about the part where he tried to get his daughter married off to Hiccup. That bit was not to be made public.

Hiccup was incredibly embarrassed by the whole ordeal, and kept protesting against Hersker's claims of greatness. Although Erik and Tula both took delight in teasing him by adding their stories too. He glared at them, but they merely laughed. Even Astrid gave him a gentle poke, joining in the fun.

Chief Maarav turned to watch the slight young man, seeing him in a new light. He said to Hiccup, "You are certainly a very interesting young man. Would you consider coming back to Rageri with us, and teach us to live with dragons too?"

Hiccup appeared startled at the question, and glanced quickly towards Astrid.

Maarav then added thoughtfully, "You know, my daughter is about your age. She's available for marriage."

Everybody around the Chief and the young couple groaned at the suggestion, while Hiccup pulled Astrid tightly towards him, blatantly kissing her.

Maarav stuck his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Just mentioning it," he said quickly.

Later that evening, Maarav stumbled a little, having had too much mead. He found Hiccup, and brought up the question again, albeit with a lot more slurring of his words. "Why don't the two of you come round to my village and teach us more about your dragons? Maybe even give us a demonstration?"

Hiccup paused at the idea. "We're going home tomorrow, sir, but I thank you for the offer."

Maarav persisted, leaning too far into Hiccup's face, his alcohol fuelled breath nearly knocking the young man over. "You can still go home, but what's a bit of extra adventure before you do?" he asked with a drunken giggle.

Hiccup was a little startled at this suggestion, having not really thought about it like that before. He and Astrid had been so focussed on going home to their families, they hadn't even contemplated doing anything else.

"Uh…I guess I can talk to Astrid about it," he said carefully.

Maarav grinned triumphantly and swayed drunkenly. "Good to hear. You know, a handsome young man like yourself would certainly be popular with the ladies... although, if you were married, that would soon stop," he said vaguely.

Hiccup blinked in shock at what the Chief had said, then blinked again when the man added. "And Astrid…the men would love a shield maiden for themselves…unless she was already married, of course."

Hiccup wanted to quiz the man about what he meant, but Hersker came over and challenged Maarav to a mead drinking contest… and the moment was lost.

Hiccup retreated into a quiet corner and sat by himself to think about what had been said. He was starting to see there was an opportunity here…to take the message of peace with dragons as far as he could. They were already further north than they had ever been, and he knew if they went home, they would probably never come this far again and the opportunity would be wasted. At Berk, his chiefly duties were waiting for him. Right now, though, he was free. They weren't running or escaping from anything. They could do this of their own free choice. All he had to do… was convince Astrid.

* * *

 **Oh Hiccup. What are you going to do now?**

 **The part about the Chief and Striker, I can't remember if it was from the series or somebody else's story. If it was a story, I apologize to the original author. But it fitted in nicely!**


	16. Chapter 16 A Proposal

Much later that evening, when the families had already taken their little ones home and leaving only the stalwart die-hards, Hiccup approached Astrid.

"Come with me," he said to her, beckoning her outside. She gave him a quizzical look, but followed nonetheless.

Toothless was waiting for them, Hiccup jumping into the saddle. Astrid searched around for Stormfly, but Hiccup had his hand out for her.

"You want me to come with you and Toothless?" she asked. He nodded.

Astrid shrugged. "Okay…move over," she told him, effortlessly climbing on behind him and holding on tight.

A few moments later, they were soaring through the clear night sky, the moonlight and crisp air a heady mix.

"This never fails to amaze me," she told him quietly, resting her head on his shoulder and looking down at the dim lights of the town below.

"I know…it's pretty special," Hiccup agreed.

Comfortable silence reigned for a while.

"Why did you want me to come up here for?" asked Astrid. "I know it wasn't for the view, however spectacular."

Hiccup laughed. "You're right. It wasn't for the view. I wanted somewhere for us to talk…no interruptions…nobody else, just us."

"Well, you've achieved that. What's on your mind?" she asked, snuggling up against his back.

He paused. "What if I told you I was thinking that maybe we shouldn't go home straight away, that right now we have the opportunity to do something important."

Astrid was alarmed and sat up straight. "What?"

Hiccup sought to reassure her. "Just hear me out first, please? Then you can tell me what you think. I won't do anything without you, so if you don't like the idea, then we'll head home first thing tomorrow morning. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed warily.

"You know it's been my dream to bring dragons and people together," he began passionately. "Right now, we have that chance…to explore the world and find those who want to make peace. Starting with Rageri. If we go home, we might never get the opportunity to come this way again. Dad will have me locked down in chiefly duties, you'll be tied to the Academy training new recruits…and we'll never get away together. Not like this anyway, with just you and me, and Toothless and Stormfly. Think of all the places we could go, the things we could see…not to mention making new friends. Maybe even find new dragons, how exciting would that be?"

Astrid had to smile at his enthusiasm, even as the cautious part of her mind churned over. "What about the dragon hunters?" she asked.

Hiccup's enthusiasm seemed to grow at the question. "We could find out more about them…we've done this before with Vigo and Ryker. This Drago we keep hearing about…if we're careful, maybe we could find out what he's doing, where he's coming from. Show him what dragons are really like."

Astrid snorted at the suggestion. "Somehow, I don't think you'll have much success with that. We've seen firsthand what his hunters are like."

"Then we'll stop him," Hiccup vowed.

"If we do this…travel thing…what about the rest of the gang?" Astrid asked, biting her lip thoughtfully. She could see this had become important to Hiccup, but she still had so many questions and reservations.

"Dad would have sorted them out. He's probably taken them back to Berk and closed down the Edge by now," he told her.

"But what if we get lost in a storm again, or lose our map? What about if one of the dragons get injured again? What if we get captured? Or get sick?" said Astrid, rattling off the list of things that had already gone wrong.

"Then we'll find a new map, and we'll help the dragons get better. If we're captured, we'll escape again. We've come through all of that, so far. We can do it again," he told her with such assurance, she almost felt inclined to believe him.

"Astrid...think of what we have already achieved...we've rescued those dragons from the hunters. Where would they be without us? What about Erik? And Tula? They have their own dragons now. Even Chief Hersker has Striker. And Torstein? We practically rebuilt it...using dragons! They don't have to worry about attacks anymore. We did all that, Astrid... Think of what else we could achieve...but now might be our only chance," he told her, his voice filled with passion.

Astrid bit her lip, her head spinning. Of course he was right, if they didn't do this now, they would never do it again. But they had already been away from home for almost seven months. She missed her family, and missed Berk. Although she had to admit, the last few weeks had been exciting, when they had worked with others to teach them about dragons.

"What about our families? How would we tell them where we are? Won't they want us to come home?" she asked carefully.

"They'll understand. Winter is over now so the traders will be back on their trade routes. We'll send a letter to Berk with them, telling dad we're fine, but we're going to keep moving till it's time to go home," said Hiccup.

Astrid thought hard about all that had been said. Each of her objections had been met with an eager response. At the end of it, she knew what her answer would be. Really, it was the only one she could give.

"Okay…yes," she told him.

"Yes? Yes you'll come?" he asked keenly, asking for clarification.

"YES!" she shouted happily. "I'll come. But only because you'll drive me crazy if I said no."

Hiccup whooped and hollered loudly into the sky, causing Toothless to grumble. He laughed wildly, "Oh hush, you. We're going exploring, Toothless!" he told the dragon excitedly. "Who knows? Maybe we'll find another Night Fury."

Astrid grinned indulgently at her excited boyfriend, hugging him tightly. "Wouldn't that be something," she said softly against his back, her thoughts already infected by his dreams.

The trio continued to fly silently for a few minutes, each to their own thoughts, before Hiccup decided it was time to turn back. It was already well past the middle of the night, and they needed to sleep at some point. Although Hiccup was sure he wouldn't be getting much sleep anyway. His head was overflowing with plans and possibilities. Plus there was still one more subject he needed to discuss with Astrid...

"Umm, Astrid?" he said slowly.

"Yes?"

"There's one more thing."

She sighed. "Of course there is. What is it?"

"Uh...I was talking with Chief Maarav about coming to his village. He said that if we come as we are...single...we would likely have problems. Like today...with Vadik. He also said we wouldn't have those problems...if we were married," Hiccup said tentatively. He bit his lip while he waited for her response.

Astrid sucked in a quick breathe. Married? She was shocked at the totally unexpected suggestion. Of course, she knew she would get married to Hiccup at some point...but she had also thought they would be in front of family and friends at Berk when it happened. She already figured he didn't mean it like that.

Astrid was silent for a few minutes while she mulled it all over. The 'why' made sense, but she had a lot of questions for the 'how' part.

She spoke up. "Not that I'm saying 'yes', but...how would we do that? Don't we have to be married on our own island? What about contracts? What about our families?" she asked.

Hiccup smiled. "We can get married here, on Torstein in front of our friends. We have two Chiefs at the moment, they can vouch for us and make everything legal. We'll send word back to Berk so dad and your parents can sort out the contract between them. I don't think they'll want to stop us. As for families...while I agree it would have been nice to have them here with us, we just won't be able to do it. If we go home to get married, we know we'll never leave again. And it would be months for them to reach us...we just don't have that kind of time. If we decide not to get married and go travelling anyway, then we'll likely regret it when we run into trouble...the same as we've already faced."

Astrid closed her eyes at the reminder. The episode with Erik and Tula, while forgiven, had not been forgotten. The episode with Vadik, even as brief as it had been, could easily have been so much worse.

Hiccup continued. "Besides...don't you think that as soon as we get home, dad won't throw the biggest belated wedding party?"

Astrid had to giggle. Yes, Stoick would definitely do that. Her parents too. She knew they would be disappointed if they couldn't be part of it, but the more she thought about Hiccup's dream of uniting people with dragons, the more involved her own heart became with the idea.

For the rest of the trip back to the village, she was silent as she thought furiously about everything Hiccup had said. Even after they landed, she was silent. It wasn't until she was walking away from him towards her room that she stopped. Turning around, she quickly retraced her steps to where he was still standing beside Toothless. Reaching up, she gave him a brief kiss. "Yes," was her only response.

"Yes?" asked Hiccup, not sure what that meant.

"Yes, I'll marry you," she replied breathlessly before running away from him to Brenda's house.

Hiccup staggered backwards, bumping into Toothless. "Bud...she said yes. She wants to marry me...she said yes!" he told the dragon, in a total daze at what had just happened. Toothless sniggered at his lovesick friend.

Hiccup was in a dream world when he tried to climb back into the saddle, completely missing the stirrup and falling flat on the ground. Toothless stood over him in concern, but Hiccup laid there and laughed. Getting back up, he was a little more focused and put his foot in the right place this time. Toothless launched into the air with powerful wing beats, circling around the town. Hiccup still had one more thing to say.

"YAHOOOO!"

-oOo-

The next morning, Hiccup found Chief Hersker and Chief Maarav together at Hersker's house. Both were nursing headaches from the evening before, so they weren't really appreciative when Hiccup loudly burst into the house.

"Hiccup! Can ye keep it down, lad?" Hersker groaned.

"Oops…sorry Chief, and Chief," said Hiccup, freezing on the spot.

"That's all right. Sit down and tell us…are you ready to leave today?" said Hersker, waving Hiccup into a seat at the table with them.

"Actually, that's what I came to see you both about," said Hiccup, bouncing on his heels as he was too excited to sit. He hadn't slept as he was too charged up with all the ideas and plans he had for his and Astrid's future. To burn off some of that energy, he had spent the night in the forge getting a head start on the items he would soon need.

"Chief Maarav, were you serious in your offer last night?" Hiccup asked.

Maarav had to think for a moment, but then his face lit up. "To come to Rageri? Of course I was. Are you changing your plans?" he asked.

Hiccup grinned. "Yup. I've talked about it with Astrid, and we'd like to go back with you if we can."

Maarav was delighted. "Of course! I'll tell Vadik the good news later. We can make plans to welcome you."

"Thank you. We would appreciate that. But…you did suggest one other thing last night," said Hiccup.

Maarav was confused. "I did? What was that?"

Hiccup gulped down his nervousness. "Umm…you said it would be better if Astrid and I were married before we came. So we'd like to get married."

Hersker's elbow slipped off the table with a bang, and his jaw dropped open. Maarav sat back in his seat, his brows shooting up to his receding hairline in surprise.

"Well, that's a bombshell. What do you think Hersker? Can we help this young couple out?" Maarav asked the other chief, who was still staring at Hiccup in shock.

Hersker gathered his wits long enough to stand and give the young man a massive hug. "We'd love to help you!" boomed Hersker loudly. He was quickly shushed by a wincing Maarav, who held his head as if it was about to burst.

"Sorry!" Hersker whispered to the other chief. "We'd love to help you! Leave it to us, Hiccup. We'll have you two married before the end of the week," he promised the young man, waving him out the door. "You just concentrate on that bride-to-be of yours…and don't forget the rings or the swords," he added before closing the door on an astonished Hiccup. The young blacksmith walked away, scratching his head in bewilderment.

-oOo-

Brenda was crying, refusing to stop hugging the young couple in front of her. But they were tears of joy for the impending nuptials of Hiccup and Astrid. She had grown very close to the pair, and it had hurt her deeply to see them pulling away from each other. They had decided to not tell her the full story behind that, knowing it would cause her too much pain. But when they had come back together, she had been overjoyed.

Now, she had come out with Erick and Tula this morning expecting to say goodbye to them, only to be told that they were staying a little longer so they could be married. Which of course, she was thrilled to bits about…and why she was crying.

Hiccup and Astrid shot amused looks at each other over Brenda's devotion, but they were happy to wait until she was ready to let them go.

Finally, she released them both, wiping her tears. Without warning, she gasped. "Oh my dear….you are going to need a dress! I have just the thing for you," she said, grabbing Astrid by the wrist and dragging her back to the house very determinedly. Tula laughed gleefully and followed along.

Astrid didn't resist, but she turned back and silently mouthed ' _help me_ ' to Hiccup, who only grinned and waved goodbye to her. The moment didn't last very long, as Erik hoiked him backwards.

"Hey! What's the go?" Hiccup complained at the rough handling. Astrid saw him being pulled along and grinned in sweet revenge, giving him a cheeky little wave of her fingers.

"Chief's orders...you need new clothes," said Erik.

"What's wrong with my flight suit?" complained Hiccup, trying to resist Erik's pushing.

Erik's brows shot straight up. "Did you seriously just say that? You're getting married, Hiccup. If I know Brenda, she's going to make sure Astrid looks absolutely gorgeous...and you want to rock up in your flight suit?"

Hiccup pouted. "Astrid likes me in it. Plus it's still new."

Erik shook his head in amused disbelief. "You are a lost cause, Hiccup. Come on, Toothless. Help me out."

Toothless was more than happy to assist, and gave his rider a firm nudge in the direction of the chief's house.

"Traitor," grumbled Hiccup, giving up all fight after deciding he wasn't going to win against two immoveable objects.

-oOo-

It seemed everybody in the village had heard about the upcoming wedding, and offers of help poured in from all sides. After the lengthy winter, a spring wedding was something special for the small community to celebrate. So it wasn't long before the young couple had everything they needed to complete a proper wedding.

Hiccup and Astrid were overwhelmed by the show of care and gratitude towards them. After all their recent hard work rebuilding the village, there weren't many who didn't hold them in high regard.

So, it was only two days later that all the arrangements were completed. Hiccup had been sent back to Chief Hersker's house for the night before the wedding, while Tula had moved in with Astrid and Brenda. Hiccup had objected, but Brenda had firmly sent him on his way, telling him he wasn't allowed to see the bride till the wedding ceremony the following evening. He had naturally pouted at this, but Erik had laughed at him and dragged him away, to everyone's amusement.

The morning of the wedding had arrived, crisp and clear. Perfect weather. Hiccup had already been for an early morning flight with Toothless to calm his nerves, but found it hadn't helped much. Here he was, about to make the biggest commitment of his life, to the most beautiful girl he had ever known. Something he had dreamed of for such a long time. He just never thought it would happen like this. In a faraway land with no family to celebrate with them. He knew the reasons why they were doing this, but it still didn't take away the regret that his father would not be able to witness the most important day of his life.

He nervously paced inside the Chief's house with Toothless watching him. They were currently on their own.

"Are we doing the right thing, bud?" he asked anxiously. "Getting married like this?"

Toothless walked over to his boy, and sat on his haunches before him. Giving Hiccup a wide eyed stare, he gently crooned in encouragement.

"You think so?" asked Hiccup.

Toothless nodded.

"Thanks bud. I needed that," said Hiccup, hugging his scaly friend.

Chief Hersker opened the front door at the same time as the warning horn sounded. Both Hersker and Hiccup turned and rushed outside.

"What is it now?" Hersker grumbled in irritation. The two headed towards the docks, along with a few others heading the same way. Astrid flew in beside them on Stormfly.

"It's a ship," she told the chief briefly. After hearing the horn, Brenda and Tula had not been able to stop the blonde warrior from leaping onto Stormfly and flying out to find out why the warning had been sounded on her wedding day. She had been very relieved to see the answer.

Leaping off Stormfly, she headed straight for Hiccup.

"Here now," the Chief protested. "You're not supposed to see him till tonight!"

Ignoring the chief, she grabbed Hiccup's hand. "It's Johann," she told him excitedly. "He's here!"

Hiccup felt his heart leap for joy at the news. Finally, after all these long months away from Berk, here was a small touch of familiarity. Someone who knew them from home.

Keeping hold of Astrid's hand, Hiccup ran, leading the rest of the way to the docks. They had to wait until Johann's ship had been secured, and the gangplank put over the side, but as soon as it was down, they raced forward.

Johann was surprised to find such eager people coming aboard his ship, but his shock doubled when he realised who the pair were.

"Master Hiccup! Miss Astrid! You're alive!" he called out in great relief, hugging the pair thankfully.

"Yes, we are. And you wouldn't believe how happy we are to see you right now," Hiccup told him with a wide grin.

"Oh, your poor father has been searching everywhere for you two. But when your sword turned up on Berk before the start of winter, he was at least reassured you were still alive," Johann told them.

Hiccup felt the pang of remorse strike him. "Yeah...we were in a tight spot then. We'd been sold as slaves," he admitted.

"Slaves?" Johann started. "Oh my, you have been in a spot of bother. Care to tell me all about it?" he asked.

Hiccup and Astrid gave him the abbreviated version, leading them up to their current location.

Johann's jaw sagged open as he listened to their adventures. "Well, your story is quite exciting. But tell me, how is it that you haven't gone home yet?" he asked.

The two blushed and glanced shyly at each other. Hiccup nervously cleared his throat. "Actually, we've decided that we want to keep travelling while we can, to teach others about dragons."

"A noble cause, Master Hiccup. A worthwhile goal. Would you like me to deliver a message to your father?" Johann asked kindly.

"That would be great if you could," said Hiccup in relief. "But there's more to it than just that. We've decided it would be better for us if we were married first."

"Married?" Johann was astonished. "So far from home?"

Hiccup was anxious. "Do you think we're doing the wrong thing? We thought it might be a protection for us." He quickly explained their reasons for choosing to do so.

Johann studied the pair with a shrewd eye. "Do you love each other?" he asked. The two gave each other such a loving gaze that no words were required to answer. "I see that you do. Then you are doing this for all the right reasons...to love and protect each other. You should go ahead with full confidence master Hiccup. I will gladly explain to your father why. I'm sure he will understand."

Hiccup and Astrid were relieved to have that kind of reassurance from home. Even indirectly.

Johann rubbed his hands in excitement. "So when is this delightful occasion to take place?"

"Today, actually," said Astrid, linking her arm through Hiccup's.

"That's wonderful! Well, I do believe congratulations are in order. I might have just the gift for a young couple such as yourselves..."

-oOo-

Later that evening, Hiccup stood in the decorated Great Hall dressed in the borrowed clothes that Hersker had insisted on. He stood tall and proud, looking like the heir that he was. On the inside however, it was a whole other story. He was a jumble of nerves, having wanted this day for so long that it seemed unreal to him that it was now actually happening. He was really getting married to the woman of his dreams, his best friend...best human friend that is.

Toothless was sitting proudly beside him as his 'best man' for the wedding. For who else could fulfil that role? Hiccup knew that Stormfly would be following Astrid in shortly as 'maid of honour'. They had asked Brenda if she would escort Astrid down the aisle, as a representative for Astrid's own family, and the matronly woman had been delighted to have been honoured in such a way.

Johann had agreed to stay an extra few days, so that he could take back a letter from them. To have him there as a reminder of home, had been a great comfort to the pair.

A slight commotion at the doors grabbed Hiccup's attention. He sucked in his breathe at the sight. Astrid was standing there, watching him with the same nervous attention he was giving her. But to Hiccup, everything else faded away and it was only the two of them. She was wearing a floor length simple dress that highlighted her figure, and decorated with elegant embroidery. Her hair was loosened around her shoulders, a flower crown on her head and a simple bouquet in her hands. To him, she was simply beautiful.

He watched with rapt attention as she walked towards him. When Brenda had handed her over to him, he asked quietly. "Are you sure about this?"

Astrid smiled lovingly. "I've never been more sure about anything else," she whispered back.

"No regrets," he told her with conviction, so very sure now of their decision.

"No regrets," she agreed.

Hiccup grinned, before both turned to face the two chiefs, who were going to conduct the ceremony together. Hiccup and Astrid spoke their oaths to each other, exchanged swords and rings until finally….

"I present to you all, husband and wife, Hiccup and Astrid," boomed Chief Hersker to the cheering crowd.

The newlyweds held each other's hands tightly as they were almost smothered under the crowd of well-wishers, Brenda being the worst offender. She wouldn't stop hugging the two of them and crying. Finally, Chief Hersker had to gently pull the emotional woman off them, but he smiled as he did so.

"Come on Brenda. You can't hold onto them forever," he told her kindly.

"But they've become my children," she sobbed. "And now they're going to leave!" She turned to wail into Hersker's shoulder. He rolled his eyes but smiled indulgently, walking with her to a quiet corner where she could gather herself together.

Hiccup and Astrid were blinking back tears themselves. Brenda had become so much to them in the short time they'd known her. She had become like a second mother to both of them. Leaving her behind was going to be difficult. They only hoped they could one day return.

At one point later in the evening, when Hiccup and Astrid were dancing in each other's arms, Hiccup tenderly swept back the loose blonde tendrils from her face.

"Are you ready for the next adventure, my darling wife?" he asked with a gentle grin.

"With you by my side, dear husband...I'm ready for anything," she gave a teasing smirk in return.

"Good to know," he said, before kissing her sweetly.

Later in the evening, during the celebrations, Erik and Tula hesitantly approached the young newlyweds.

"Err….congratulations you two," Erik began. But the nervous smile gave him away.

"What's the matter?" asked Hiccup, eyeing him shrewdly.

The two cousins glanced briefly at each other before Tula blurted out, "We really wanted to say how sorry we are about the trouble we caused you. We've been watching you both all evening, and it's obvious you are meant to be together. I know we had other ideas before, and…well…we're just grateful you didn't decide to start a war or something against us."

Hiccup smiled at his bride, his gaze softening as she returned the look, communicating without words. Turning back to the other two, Hiccup extended his hand to Erik. "No hard feelings. It's time to move on. The whole thing is dead and buried, as far as we're concerned. We consider you both our friends," he said firmly.

Erik shook his hand, and Astrid hugged Tula.

"Thank you both. We really appreciate that. You know…it's going to be awfully quiet without you two here. Keep safe on your travels, you hear? Otherwise, we'll have to send Brenda after you," said Erik, threatening them light-heartedly.

The four of them laughed together, all previous tensions now gone. They could safely part ways, knowing they were once again, friends.

-oOo-

The next morning was a late start for Hiccup and Astrid. They finally surfaced from the house that had been made available to them for their first night together as husband and wife, when it was almost noon. Erik and Tula were quick to notice them.

Erik grinned when he saw the very happy and relaxed expressions on their faces.

"Soooo….slept well then?" he teased, making them both blush.

Hiccup stopped to greet Toothless before casually curling his arms around Astrid and pulling her against him, her back into his chest.

Astrid's grin was wide and mischievous, as she let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Mmmmmm...yes, thank you," she told them, giving Hiccup a saucy wink. "It was _very_ satisfactory."

Erik and Tula laughed loudly, especially when Hiccup appeared mortified at her words.

"What? It was an incredible night!" she giggled, turning to lounge up against him, her arms loose around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair.

"Yeah, but you don't tell everyone," he said, his cheeks flaming red. Although his indulgent grin and laughing eyes as he took in the sight of her so relaxed in his arms told a different story.

"But you were so amaaazing! You want me to tell Toothless instead?"

At this, Toothless snapped up his head in wide eyed alarm. Screwing his eyes shut tight, the black dragon stuck out his tongue in disgust before slinking off. Erik and Tula were almost bent over double from laughing so hard.

Erik sniggered. "Careful there Hiccup. You'll get yourself a reputation with a wife looking like that and telling those stories."

Hiccup gave him a dry look. "Don't you have some dragon dung to pick up somewhere?" he said flatly.

This only made the other two laugh more. Erik told Tula. "Come on Tula. I think these two lovebirds need some time _alone_ ," he said, giving them an exaggerated wink, chuckling as they walked away.

Hiccup pretended to frown at Astrid. "You're lucky I love you."

Astrid giggled and wrapped her arms tighter around him. "I know you do. And I love you," she told him breezily, before reaching up to give him a lingering kiss.

"Am I interrupting anything?" came a new voice.

Hiccup and Astrid rapidly pulled apart, only their hands staying entwined. They faced Chief Maarav.

"Uh...just the usual sir," said Hiccup, receiving an embarrassed nudge to his ribs from his new wife.

Maarav chuckled. "Not to worry. I was newly married once too. So, are you ready to come to Rageri tomorrow?"

Hiccup nodded eagerly. "Yes sir! We'll be ready to set sail first thing in the morning. Although we will probably fly most of the way, if that's okay. The ships will be a little too confining for our dragons."

Maarav nodded absently. "That might be best. Not all my men are keen on being too close to your beasts."

Hiccup smiled. "Maybe we will have changed their minds by the time we arrive," he suggested hopefully.

The old chief gave a wan smile. "Maybe."

Astrid told him with conviction and pride in her voice, "Hiccup can be very persuasive."

Maarav gave a small nod. "I've noticed. It's one of the reasons I invited you both back to my island... Just a warning when we get there...some of my people won't be so enthusiastic about your dragons. We've had problems before. But I'm sure you'll have no trouble with them."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at this news. "Thank you for letting us know, sir. We'll take care."

Maarav nodded absently again, then left them by themselves.

Astrid turned to Hiccup. "Should we be worried about that?" she asked in concern.

Hiccup turned to collect her in his arms. "I don't know," he told her truthfully. "We'll just have to be careful till we find out."

Astrid laid her cheek on his chest, holding him tightly. "Do you still want to do this?" she asked.

"Of course. That's why I married you... so we could go exploring together and take the message of peace with the dragons to anyone who will listen."

"Oh? Is that the only reason?" she asked with a pretend pout, glancing up at him.

He grinned mischievously and held her tighter. "Yup! I need you close to protect me from all the fierce hunters out there...and from Toothless if he goes rogue and tries to smack some sense into me."

Astrid laughed. "I may do that myself from time to time."

It was Hiccup's turn to pout. "No fair! I don't want both of you ganging up on me."

Astrid smirked at him. "What are you going to do about it, dragon boy?" she challenged him, poking him in the chest with her finger.

He grinned at her in such a way she knew she was in trouble. Her breath hitched.

"Maybe something like this," he murmured lowly into her ear, before his lips found hers and his arms crushed her against him.

"Hey newlyweds! Get a room!" Erik shouted from a few houses away.

The two reluctantly separated, while the laughter of their friend plus a few other villagers who had been watching the young couple, rang out across the street. A distinctive draconic warble could also be heard.

Hiccup chuckled and Astrid blushed.

"It seems we have an audience," he murmured wryly.

Astrid grabbed his arm, tugging him towards Brenda's hut. "Well, show's over. They can find somebody else to keep themselves amused with," she said loudly.

Hiccup laughed, allowing his wife to pull him along.

-oOo-

The next morning shone bright and clear. Almost the entire town was down at the docks waiting to say farewell to Hiccup and Astrid.

Trader Johann had left the previous evening, having received a lengthy scroll from Hiccup to give to his father. In it he had explained everything that had happened to them so far, and what their future plans were. He also apologized for them not getting married at home, begging for understanding on their reasons why.

Hiccup promised that they would try to keep in contact as best as they could, but as they were so far away their letters might be few and brief. A Terrible Terror would not be able to make the long journey, and mail by sea would take about two months.

Johann had promised to protect the message with his life, and to deliver it as soon as he arrived in Berk. They had been sad to see him go. He had been their only link to home. Who knew when they would next see their families?

And now they were the ones leaving. Predictably, Brenda was hugging them and crying again. Both Hiccup and Astrid tried hard not to join her, but still couldn't prevent a few tears gracing their own cheeks. Even though they were excited to be leaving for new adventures, Torstein and its people had become important to them.

Maarav and his ships had already left on the high tide, but Hiccup and Astrid had delayed their departure for as long as possible.

Now though, it was time to go. With one last final hug to all their friends, Hiccup and Astrid climbed into their saddles atop Toothless and Stormfly. "Bye everyone. We'll write if we can," said Hiccup loudly.

To Astrid he said quietly, "Ready to go?"

She smiled, "I'm ready...Into the great beyond!" she cried enthusiastically, punching into the air.

He laughed. "Into the great beyond!" he repeated.

The dragons roared, launching themselves into the air, their wings flapping strongly. It was time for the next adventure.

* * *

 **And no...this is not even remotely close to the end of this story! See you next chapter! (May take a little while)**


	17. Chapter 17 Rageri

**I apologize for not responding to your reviews. My technology decided to have a melt down and I had to go cold turkey for a few weeks while it was being repaired. Utter torture!**

 **I know Hiccup and Astrid's marriage was controversial. But the benefits will make sense after a while. Marriage will intensify their relationship, now they are free to express that on a deeper level. Especially when they only have each other to rely on. You can bet they will be put to the test…and possibly in ways they had never thought of before.**

 **Unfortunately, future updates will be much slower. Real life…you know how it goes.**

* * *

"Ready Astrid?" Hiccup yelled from the back of his Night Fury.

"Just say the word," she hollered back. Stormfly chirped her readiness as well.

The four of them were flying over the ocean with a net suspended between them. When Maarav had mentioned the ship's crew needed fish for their dinner, Hiccup had taken the opportunity to show how dragons could be useful. It hadn't taken them long to find a school of fish coasting just under the surface of the waves. All they needed to do now, was catch them.

"Now!" Hiccup shouted excitedly. The dragons dove down in synchronized movements, the net slipping under the moving ball of silvery flashes. Soon, the two riders and their dragons were hauling a sizeable load back to the lead boat.

"Impressive!" said Maarav with a gleam in his eye, watching the fish spread across the deck. "That would have taken my men several hours to catch."

Hiccup beamed. "With dragons, we can feed an entire village very quickly," he told the chief. "So a boatload of people doesn't take long." He eyed off Toothless and Stormfly helping themselves to the generous supply. "Of course, they do expect payment," he said wryly.

Maarav laughed. "Of course. Can't let the workers go hungry!" He sent out the order for more men to come forward to help with gutting and cleaning the fish, ready to be preserved. This meant that some had to be pulled from active sailing positions, or from their rest breaks. Hiccup could see that a few of these men were glaring at him and the dragons for the inconvenience they had inadvertently created.

"Uh...I'm sorry Chief. I seem to have upset a few people. Back home, we normally make allowances for this."

Maarav waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. When you're on a ship, you have to be ready to do whatever is needed."

Hiccup nodded. "Ah, yes. But we've found that it's best not to interrupt the men's rest time unless it's urgent. And cleaning fish is not considered urgent."

Maarav frowned, "Of course it's urgent. The fish will spoil if we don't prepare them straight away. The men can rest later."

Hiccup paused a moment, fearing he was about to cross a line, but needing to clarify himself. "Yes, the fish will spoil. What I meant was, that normally we allocate a time and men to be available before we head out to fish. That way the men don't miss out on their rest."

The chief snorted. "Nonsense. My men will do what I tell them to do...when I tell them to do it. It's only a few fish. It's not exactly hard work."

Hiccup was worried. He knew that sailing a ship meant working long hours for all the men. Rest times were precious to gain much needed sleep. Interrupting that unnecessarily would cause murmurs of dissent. Something no captain of any ship wanted on a long voyage.

He was about to say something further, when he was distracted by Astrid coming up beside him. "Don't undermine him in front of his men," she murmured quietly into his ear.

Hiccup was shocked. How could he have been so senseless? He had become so used to living with dragons, that he had forgotten the adjustments their village had to make when dragons first became part of their lives. Now here he was, expecting this chief to suddenly change his routines to suit them? And on top of that, he had the indelicacy to do it when all the chief's insubordinates were watching. He backed off.

"Yes, Chief Maarav. You are right. Please forgive me. I meant no disrespect."

Maarav smiled. "Never mind. You have much to learn about chiefing I see. Perhaps your father has been slow to teach you."

Hiccup froze at the comment. His father had been a wonderful teacher, always willing to put the welfare of his village ahead of his own concerns. Hiccup had learnt much from him.

Hiccup felt that perhaps Hersker had been right when he had said Maarav was not the smartest man out there. Common sense and caring for your people was not something you could teach. Especially not to another chief. His anger started to boil a little, but Astrid came to his rescue.

"Chief...would it be alright if we took some of this catch to the other boats?" she asked politely.

Maarav beamed. "What a wonderful idea! I'm sure they would love that."

She grabbed Hiccup's arm and firmly tugged him back to the net. "Keep it together," she warned him. He nodded and the two collected the net with a large part of the catch still in it. Climbing onto their saddles, they hauled the net away, aiming for the two other ships.

When they were far enough away Hiccup exploded. "How can he say that about my father? He's the most caring man out there! And he has never stopped trying to teach me."

"Hiccup...Maarav doesn't know who your father is. But you can't go around telling him how to treat his people. I know you want everybody to feel respected, but that wasn't the way to do it," said Astrid.

Hiccup's shoulders slumped forward. "I know that," he said dejectedly. "It was a stupid error on my part. But he can't say those things about my dad."

"I'm sure he never meant anything by it. Hiccup...can you tell me why we came out here? Why we got married away from home and our families?" Astrid asked him pointedly.

Hiccup sighed. "To help others learn about dragons. To know that peace is possible."

"Exactly. To do that, we are going to come across all types of people. Not all of them are going to think the way you do. Your diplomacy and tact are going to be put to the test in a big way. Do you think you can handle this? Or should we just go home now?" she asked him shrewdly.

Hiccup looked over at his wife and grinned. "With you by my side, how could I not? You seem to have this 'being the next chieftains wife' role down pat."

Astrid smirked and settled back into her seat, very pleased with her efforts. "Glad you noticed. You can thank me later. Right now, we have fish to deliver. Can you handle it?"

"Of course, m'lady. After you," said Hiccup, with a forward wave of his hand.

-oOo-

Hiccup and Astrid had carefully delivered some of the fish to the second ship with little problems. But when they arrived at the third ship that Vadik was commanding, they found their reception to be quite curt. Vadik wasn't interested in receiving the fish as he didn't want to pull men from their current labours to fillet and gut them. When Hiccup had told him that Maarav had sent the fish over, he had frowned and grudgingly accepted it.

Hiccup felt that most of the fish would probably end up back in the sea. Vadik obviously liked it when he was in full control...which was probably why he was on this boat and not with his chief.

Hiccup also couldn't help but notice the many stares of distrust and apprehension coming from Vadik's men, towards the pair and their dragons. He wondered if perhaps Vadik had been stirring up dissent over the dragon's presence.

The young couple hadn't stayed long to chat, and were soon back in the air.

"Hiccup…where should we sleep tonight?" Astrid asked hesitantly. "I don't know if I'm comfortable leaving the dragons exposed on the deck. I'm worried somebody might…do something," she told her new husband.

Hiccup nodded. "I know. I've had the same thoughts," he replied soberly. "I was thinking we might scout ahead and find an island where we could shelter for the night. We could take our camping gear with us. It won't take long for us to catch up with them in the morning."

Astrid gave a sigh of relief. "Sounds perfect. When should we start looking?"

"We'll head back and see Maarav first…let him know what we're planning," was Hiccup's answer.

Hiccup led the way back to the Chief's ship, circling first to warn of their impending landing. A few of the sailors automatically went to man the bola throwers, but after a loud roar from Toothless, they hesitantly backed off.

Toothless and Stormfly landed with a 'thump' on the deck, quickly tucking in their outstretched wings. Maarav was already there.

"Hiccup! Astrid! How did the fish delivery go?" he asked with a bland grin.

"No problems at all, thank you. Everybody appreciated it," said Hiccup, thinking his words were probably a lie. Vadik hadn't been keen at all. Hiccup climbed out of the saddle.

"Good, good," Maarav said absently. "Need to keep the men fed. Your dragons could be useful for that. When we get home, you can teach my men how to best use them."

Hiccup felt a little irritated at the man's words, and he could see Astrid frowning as well. Dragons were not mindless beasts of burden.

"Sir, the dragons help us because we are their friends…not because we command them to," said Hiccup.

Maarav only nodded. "Of course, of course. But a beast without a purpose is no use to a village."

"Then I'm sure you'll be impressed at what a happy dragon will do for you," said Hiccup. Astrid nodded behind him. "They are devoted to us, just as we are devoted to them, and we know they will always have our back."

"You see, that's why I asked you to come to my village," said Maarav, giving a slight smile. "That enthusiasm you have is quite infectious. Just what I wanted to see. I'm looking forward to finding out what you have in store for us once we reach Rageri."

He gave a dismissive wave and turned to leave.

"Excuse me, Chief," said Hiccup, drawing the man back. "I was wondering if I might make a request?" he asked.

Maarav made a 'go on' gesture with his hand. "What is it?"

Hiccup glanced towards Astrid, still astride Stormfly. "We were thinking that perhaps we could scout ahead…for two reasons mainly. The first would be to check for any ships that might interfere with your course back to your home," he said.

"Good thinking," nodded the Chief in approval. "We do sometimes come across our enemies in these waters. It would be nice if we had enough time to change tack and avoid them. But what of the second reason?"

"Um…we were thinking we could search out an island for us to sleep on tonight. The dragons won't be comfortable on the ships surrounded by unfamiliar men, and we thought this might be an easier solution," said Hiccup, a little awkwardly.

Maarav grinned knowingly. "Ahh…you're still on your honeymoon."

Hiccup and Astrid both blushed furiously.

"Well…that too, of course. But we have noticed that most of your men are not…shall we say…thrilled to have the dragons so close. We don't want any problems," said Hiccup, trying valiantly to keep his composure. Astrid was leaning forward in her saddle, stroking Stormfly in an attempt to hide her red face.

"Ahh, of course. Well, I did warn you about that I suppose. I'll have a word with the men, you don't have to worry about that," said Maarav with a small smile.

Hiccup gave a dubious frown. He wasn't completely convinced that Maarav's 'word' would have much effect, but there wasn't much more he could do at this stage. He and Astrid had made the decision to come this way and help others to learn about dragons, and Hiccup was determined to see that through. They had already known it wasn't going to be an easy process, although he hadn't expected to meet so much resistance from a tribe that had invited them.

Hiccup nodded to the Chief. "Thank you, sir. Astrid and I will head off now, but we'll check back in on a regular basis to let you know if we find anything."

"Good, good," replied Maarav absently, already turning to leave.

Hiccup strode over to Toothless, who warbled at him in concern. "I know bud, I'm not so sure about all this either. We'll just have to keep our guard up," said Hiccup in a low voice to his dragon. Climbing into the saddle, he called out to Astrid. "Ready to scout?" he asked.

"Always," was her cheerful reply.

-oOo-

The rest of the afternoon had been mostly uneventful. Hiccup and Astrid had scouted the waters ahead, finding nothing to be concerned about. They had also managed to find a small island that looked ideal for their purpose, and flown straight back to collect their camping gear and a small amount of food that Maarav had provided for them. Towards evening, the young couple and their dragons had landed on the island. It hadn't taken them long to set up a make shift camp and check out their surroundings.

"Looks perfect," said Astrid happily, when they strolled back to their campsite walking hand in hand in the darkness.

Hiccup chuckled. "I'm glad you approve, m'lady," he teased.

"Are you ready for bed?" she asked, glancing towards their tent.

"Soon. I intend to do a quick flight back to Maarav's ships…just for a last minute check to make sure all is well," he told her.

Astrid pursed her lips in worry. "Are you expecting problems?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head. "No…not really. But I don't want to be caught by surprise if something pops up. We won't be long, I promise." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. "I don't want to leave you alone for a second," he told her with a glint of mischief in his eye.

She gave him a knowing smirk. "Mmm, sure. Because Stormfly and I would be helpless without you."

He laughed. "I think you mean that the other way round," he grinned. Leaning forward to give her a brief peck on the cheek, he turned and headed back to Toothless who was waiting patiently for him. Jumping into the saddle, he grabbed the handle bar and directed Toothless towards the sea.

"Goodbye m'lady. I will be back as fast as I can."

And with that, Hiccup and Toothless effortlessly launched into the air, leaving Astrid to marvel at how smooth the connection was between the two. They quickly disappeared into the night, a sonic whistle the only indication they were even there.

-oOo-

Hiccup had already done a silent lap around all three ships, satisfied that all was well, before heading back to the island where Astrid was waiting for him at their make shift camp. The duo had barely started in that direction however, before Toothless ears perked up, and he turned his head sideways.

"What is it, bud?" asked Hiccup, instantly on alert. Toothless senses were more finely attuned than his, and he had long since learned to trust his dragon's reactions.

The two seamlessly changed their direction and took a wide swing back to the third ship, led by Vadik. Toothless shot over the top of the ship and stared down into the dark waves behind it, instead.

Hiccup searched too, but he was practically blind in the night sky, the moon only partially lighting the way. As the waves rolled over each other, multiple flashes of white would appear momentarily before disappearing again.

Toothless opened his maw wide to send out his echolocation signal, doing it once then twice. Suddenly he dived down and Hiccup hurriedly changed the direction of the artificial tail fin, holding on tight as the two took a steep nose dive towards the ocean. At the last moment, Toothless levelled off and skimmed over the surface before rising upwards again.

Hiccup had been able to see at the very last second what it was that Toothless had been aiming for and he leaned forward anxiously.

"Did you get him?" he asked.

Toothless tilted his head to stare at the soaking wet and petrified sailor between his feet and warbled.

"You did? Great," said Hiccup with a sigh of relief, laying his hand briefly on his friend's scaly head. He called out to the stranger they had rescued, "Don't worry, sir. We'll get you back to where you belong shortly."

The frightened man said nothing, only hanging onto the dragon's legs with a very strong grip. Hiccup and Toothless flew back to the ship, where Toothless had to flap his wings carefully so he could gently drop the man onto the deck. Hiccup wanted to make sure the guy was alright, so the two of them landed close beside him.

Rushing over, he helped the man stand up. "Are you okay?" Hiccup asked worriedly.

The sailor kept glancing over Hiccup's shoulder to the dragon behind him with a terrified expression, but he nodded anyway.

"What's going on here?" commanded another voice that Hiccup was beginning to find a little irritating. He turned to face Vadik.

"Toothless found this man drowning in the ocean," he told him, standing up straight and staring at the older man with a frown.

Vadik glanced at the shivering sailor and jerked his head sideways, indicating for the sailor to move and move now. The sailor fearfully cast his eyes briefly back towards Hiccup and Toothless, but even in the darkened light Hiccup could see an even greater intimidation in the man's eyes when he had stared wide eyed at his commanding officer.

The man scuttled away, keeping a wide berth around Vadik.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, turning his attention back to the muscular man.

Vadik gave a very stiff nod. "Thank you for finding and returning him. He was careless and allowed himself to fall over the edge," he told Hiccup curtly.

"Not at all," said Hiccup in return. "Sailors sometimes can…overbalance…if they somehow get too close to the edge. I'm glad Toothless and I were able to save him." Hiccup was formal in his tone. He got the feeling that the sailor may have had a little 'help' falling into the water, and he wasn't sure returning him was the man's safest option.

"What was his name?" Hiccup asked Vadik, who had been on the point of leaving.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What was his name? That sailor. He's probably swallowed a lot of ocean, so he won't be feeling too well. If I know his name I can bring Astrid back here in the morning to check on him. But I'll need his name," explained Hiccup.

Vadik hesitated for a second, then waved his hand dismissively. "I can't remember. It's not important. Our own healer will look after him. You don't need to worry over something that's not your affair," said Vadik abruptly.

Hiccup stood up, knowing full well there was no healer, and Vadik likely did know the man's name.

He gave a small nod. "Very well. Then I'll call again tomorrow to visit him. Hopefully he'll be feeling much better by then. Would you like me to report this incident to your Chief for you?" he asked the man, with a thinly veiled threat. He wanted to make sure the sailor didn't have another 'accident'.

Vadik's face tightened, and he gave an unpleasant sneer. "Maarav will get a full report when I'm ready to give it to him. No need to concern yourself over such trivial matters."

Toothless was uneasy and growled at the man's aggressiveness. Vadik gave a start and shot an apprehensive glance towards the Night Fury partially hidden in the shadows. The officer turned back to Hiccup.

"If you'll excuse me, it's time for me to retire for the night."

Hiccup nodded. "Good evening then Vadik. I shall see you tomorrow." Climbing back into the saddle, Hiccup and Toothless launched themselves back into the air, flying swiftly towards his wife and Stormfly. He wanted to discuss this with Astrid…and he wanted to find that sailor again.

-oOo-

Astrid was waiting for him when he landed.

"Trouble?" she asked straight away, noting his furrowed brow.

"Not sure," he told her, getting off Toothless and undoing the straps for the saddle. "Toothless found a sailor in the ocean and we had to rescue him."

Astrid gasped. "Was he okay?"

Hiccup nodded, pulling the saddle off his dragon. Putting it down he came back to give Toothless an affectionate rub. "Toothless found him pretty quickly…didn't you bud?" The Night Fury crooned, rubbing his head up against Hiccup. "But you won't need any guesses to know whose ship he fell from."

Astrid's gaze narrowed. "Don't tell me it was Vadik's ship."

"Yep, the one and only. But I don't know if it was just an accident that caused the man to be in the water. We took him back and Vadik was waiting. The sailor seemed to be more afraid of Vadik than Toothless," said Hiccup, walking back to a log Astrid had earlier pulled up in front of the fire. The two sat down together.

"So what do you want to do?" asked Astrid, giving him a worried look.

Hiccup threw his arm around her shoulder, gazing down at her pale face in the firelight. "I told Vadik I'd take you back to check the man over…make sure he was okay. He refused the offer, but I think we'll be popping in anyway. Vadik wouldn't give me the man's name, so we'll have to find out another way. What do you think?" he asked her.

She smiled up at him. "I think Vadik is a slime ball and we need to be on our toes…and that you find trouble wherever you go," she told him with a playful smirk.

"Oh, is that right, is it?" he replied, giving her a gentle poke and making her squirm. "Don't forget…you agreed to marry all of this," he said, indicating himself.

"Best decision I ever made," she told him breathlessly, reaching up to kiss him.

Hiccup crushed her to him, returning the kiss fervently. He was reminded again with incredulous wonder that there were no longer any barriers between the two of them. She belonged to him, and he belonged to her. They were now husband and wife, something he had dreamed of for so long. He also remembered they were on an island in the middle of somewhere, with nobody else around except their dragons.

It was time to take advantage of that.

-oOo-

Towards midday the next day, Hiccup and Astrid had already reported back to Maarav the results of their early-morning scouting flight. There had been nothing unusual to report, which the Chief had been pleased about. Hiccup had also briefly mentioned the rescue of the sailor the night before, but Maarav seemed unconcerned. His only comment had been that sailors were sometimes clumsy and fell overboard. Which only caused Hiccup and Astrid to glance worriedly at each other.

"It's happened before?" asked Hiccup with a frown.

"Oh yes. Not often, of course. Vadik seems to have the worst luck when it comes to finding able-bodied sailors," Maarav responded vaguely.

"And you don't find this a little bit odd?" asked Astrid, stepping forward. Her fists were clenched and her ire was beginning to rise at his casual attitude.

Maarav gave her a sharp glance. "What is odd about losing men at sea? It happens everywhere," he told her with an offended frown. "We don't like it, but that's one of the risks you take when you are on the open water."

Hiccup gave a warning shake of his head towards Astrid, then spoke to the Chief. "We were intending to visit the sailor and see if he has recovered. Do you want us to retrieve a report from Vadik for you?" he asked.

Maarav seemed surprised, but at which part of his speech Hiccup wasn't sure. "Uh…sure. Is this one more thing dragons can do?" he asked with mild curiosity.

Hiccup nodded. "For short distances we often use Terrible Terrors to deliver notes. But yes, dragons and their riders can certainly deliver messages too."

"Hmmm. I see," said Maarav thoughtfully. "That would be a useful advantage. These…terrible terrors…do they take long to train?"

Hiccup gave a quiet chuckle. "That depends. Terrors are not the brightest dragon out there, so it requires time and patience by their bonded owner."

"Bonded? What does that mean?" asked Maarav, totally focused on Hiccup now.

Hiccup grinned. This was what he was here for. To educate about dragons and their friendship with humans.

"Dragons are very intuitive, and curious creatures. They can sense when people are calm and don't want to hurt them. We can train, or calm down, wild dragons. But for them to stay and really be part of our village, they need to bond with someone. Then the two are connected for life. Once bonded, a dragon will do anything for their human."

Hiccup gave a warm gaze towards his Night Fury, snoozing further away on the deck. "And humans will do anything for their dragons," he finished softly.

"I see," said Maarav, although he was obviously still confused. "And how do you make this happen?"

Astrid shook her head. "It's not something you can force. You can't _make_ it happen. It just does when the dragon trusts you enough to want to stay with you."

"Oh," said Maarav, still not understanding. "Maybe you could give us a demonstration when we reach the village?"

"Gladly," grinned Hiccup, excited at the prospect.

Hiccup and Astrid spent a little more time with Maarav, discussing some of the things they would like to show the Chief and his village of Rageri once they got there. But Hiccup was itching to find out what had happened to the so far, nameless sailor. Unfortunately, he was to be disappointed.

Vadik had grudgingly allowed them an audience with the man, but any answers they were after were restricted by the close proximity of Vadik himself. The sailor had answered in mono-syllables or avoided their questions altogether, his frightened gaze constantly flicking towards his commanding officer standing behind them.

Finally Hiccup had sighed in frustration. At least the man was still alive, that much he could be happy about. But they had no option except to leave with more questions than when they arrived.

-oOo-

It was the following morning, after Hiccup and Astrid had given their scouting report, that Chief Maarav told them the news they had been waiting for. Rageri was on the horizon.

"How much longer?" asked Hiccup eagerly.

Maarav chuckled. "We'll be home after the midday meal, dependent on the winds," he told the younger man.

"How do you plan to introduce us to your people?" Hiccup asked shrewdly. He already knew there would be trouble, and he wanted to reduce the risks to Toothless and Stormfly as much as possible before exposing the dragons to potentially hostile townsfolk.

"Ah, well. It will take a little while for us to dock, and then I will need to prepare the village for your arrival," Maarav began. "It would be best if you both stayed back until I give you the signal to land."

"What kind of signal?" Astrid asked, standing beside Hiccup.

Maarav frowned in thought. "Hmm…how about I send up a flaming arrow. Will that be enough?"

Astrid rolled her eyes and Hiccup had to suppress a snort. "Sure…but flaming arrows are usually what are used to keep us away, not bring us in," he told the Chief.

Maarav was a little confused, but then the lights turned on and he said "Ohhh," in comprehension. "Sorry about that. Didn't think that would be a problem. What do you suggest then?" he asked.

"Just wave a torch three times like this," said Hiccup, waving his arm in a semi-circular pattern to demonstrate.

Maarav beamed. "I can do that, easy."

Astrid choked back a snort, and Hiccup gave her a discrete pinch. She twitched a little but said nothing, giving Maarav a false smile instead.

The two were back in the air, far enough away that the risk of being overheard was no longer a threat when she let loose.

"Is he serious? A flaming arrow? And he didn't think it would be a problem? 'Oh, there's a dragon in the air, let's shoot it down with a flaming arrow'," she mocked. "How does that get turned into, "Oh, there's a dragon and it's rider in the air. Let's welcome them down with a flaming arrow'."

Hiccup chuckled. "All right. It's not that bad. At least he didn't suggest a flaming catapult."

Astrid rolled her eyes and snorted. "He's probably got a nice warm dragon cage for us to stay in while we're visiting," she said, venting out her frustrations with sarcasm. "Probably thinks it would be a 'nice touch'."

Hiccup only laughed. "Come on. Let's go practice our formation flying. That will keep your mind of it all," he suggested.

Astrid was happy to take him up on his offer.

The two spent the remaining time flying madly around each other, laughing and teasing each other between drills. Despite their jokes, they still treated the exercise seriously. They didn't know what they were going to face and wanted to be as prepared as much as possible.

Soon, the shoreline was finally visible. Hiccup and Astrid landed briefly on the deck of Maarav's ship for a final confirmation of their arrival, then Toothless and Stormfly launched themselves back into the air with their riders. They circled around, keeping a wide berth from the island until they could see all three ships had docked.

Hiccup's excitement rose with every moment they were suspended in mid-air, waiting for the signal. But his trepidation also increased. They were actually going to do this. They were about to approach an island with the sole purpose of teaching others about dragons.

They hadn't crash landed here, or been dragged here against their will. This was the very first island, that had voluntarily invited them in to learn more. It was a big moment.

"The signal!" shouted Astrid, causing Hiccup to jump. He'd been day dreaming about all the possibilities this new land would bring them and hadn't been paying attention.

Hiccup led the way in. Drawing closer they could see the ring of tribespeople gathered around the village centre. The thought crossed Hiccup's mind that this would be a good lay out for an ambush, but he dismissed the idea. Landing with a solid thump on the earth, Hiccup rose up in his seat but didn't dismount. Astrid behind him did the same.

Hiccup took note of the villagers. He could see there were a few friendly and eager faces, which he was glad about. These were the ones he wanted to reach first. But there were quite a few more who obviously were not so keen to have the dragons in their town. Hiccup could even see axes and swords being held tightly, ready to attack at any wrong moves.

Toothless growled.

"I know, bud. I can see them too," Hiccup said softly, placing a reassuring hand on the dragons head after he had dismounted. Astrid joined him.

Maarav approached them both, clapping his hands in excitement. "Welcome! Welcome to Rageri!"

Hiccup shook the hand that the Chief offered to him. "Thank you, Chief. It's an honor to be invited to your home."

Maarav beamed, then turned to wave forward two woman and a young man. He introduced them.

"Hiccup, Astrid. I'd like you to meet my family. My wife Banu...my son Galen...and my daughter Farah."

The Chief then turned to his family, "This is Hiccup and Astrid Haddock...dragon trainers and riders. They are going to teach us how to train dragons to use in the village."

Hiccup frowned slightly at the misinformation but said nothing. Instead he shook hands with Maarav's family and accepted their warm welcome. Banu was a kindly woman, with a generous smile. She had streaks of gray twisting through her brown hair, gathered up on top of her head.

Galen and Farah were both slightly older than the Haddocks, and had the same blonde hair as their father. Farah had hers long in a double braid, while Galen had his tied back in a short ponytail. He also had a well-groomed short beard which gave him a mature and dignified air. Both wore friendly smiles, although Hiccup was thankful he had married Astrid first when he caught Galen staring a little longer than was polite at the blonde warrior.

All three of Maarav's family were obviously curious about the dragons, something Hiccup was relieved to see. If the Chief's family accepted them, it would make it easier for others to come forward.

Behind the small group, Astrid had noticed Vadik forming a gathering of his own. But it wasn't anywhere near as pleasant as this one. Vadik and the men with him were staring at them and the dragons with ill-concealed contempt.

She gave Hiccup a subtle nudge, then a tiny nod towards the group. His gaze flicked over and his eyes narrowed when he sensed the hostility radiating from the men. This group gave off an aura of danger. Hiccup tried to commit their faces to memory, just in case he had to meet them unexpectedly in an isolated location.

Bringing his attention back to Maarav, Hiccup heard the Chief say that he and Astrid would be living in one of the guest huts.

Astrid spoke up, "Where will the dragons be sleeping? They like to keep close to us."

Maarav chuckled. "I thought as much. You'll find the hut is quite generous in size, but there is also an empty storehouse beside it. I'm sure you'll find it will suit your needs."

Hiccup felt a sense of relief at the news. He had been worried about this, thinking they may have to camp in the woods if there had been no suitable accommodation. While they wouldn't have minded, the action might have been considered an offence to the chief. At least they now had one less thing to be concerned about.

"Thank you, sir. We're grateful for your generosity," he replied, bowing slightly.

Hiccup's gaze drifted back to where Vadik had broken away from his group, and was now heading in their direction. He was in the company of an old man, who had once been quite broad but now looked as if all the joy had been sucked clean from him in his bowed and withered shape. The old man's face was twisted into an ugly sneer, and he walked purposely beside Vadik, with a staff in his hand.

Hiccup was immediately reminded of Mildew, his nemesis during the time Berk was adjusting to life with dragons. Mildew had thankfully left to live with the Outcasts, but had died a few years later when he fell off a cliff. Although Hiccup wasn't too sure about the 'fell' part. He had a feeling that the Outcasts had grown just as tired of the permanently miserable old man as Berk had been.

Toothless gave a quiet growl, and Stormfly shifted uneasily. Vadik gave a start, a momentary flash of fear quickly covered by a hateful grimace. The two men approached Chief Maarav.

Maarav faced them with a placid smile. "Ahh… Vadik, and Nasir. Thank you for coming to formally welcome young Hiccup and Astrid to Rageri."

Vadik said nothing, only glared at the young couple and their dragons. Hiccup didn't feel particularly welcomed. He remained alert, knowing Astrid and the dragons behind him were doing the same.

Nasir gave a grin that could only be described as evil. It was enough to send a shiver of apprehension down Hiccup's spine, although he didn't move.

"I wanted to meet the boy who thinks dragons are man's friend," said the old man in such a way that Hiccup knew he had already found an enemy.

Maarav nodded absently. "Good, good. Hiccup, this is Nasir. He's on our council and well respected. Nasir, this is young Hiccup and his wife Astrid. They have come from the south, where Hiccup is the heir of Berk. He's been telling me how they work with the dragons where they live."

"Indeed," said Nasir, glancing over Hiccup's slender form in such a way that Hiccup knew he had been appraised and found wanting in the old man's eyes.

Maarav continued, "Yes…they have some interesting stories to tell. But we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other later. Hiccup, Astrid…I'll let Galen and Farah show you to your accommodation. I'm sure you must be tired after our travels. If you'll excuse me, I need to attend to the unloading of the ships."

Hiccup and Astrid nodded. "Of course, Chief."

Maarav turned to his wife and held out his arm, "My dear...would you accompany me?"

Banu smiled, and slipped her arm through her husband's. Before the two left, Hiccup could have sworn she shot some kind of warning look towards her children. He was concerned about this but didn't get much chance to think about it.

Vadik trailed after his Chief, and Nasir wasted no time once they were gone.

"Now see 'ere boy...I don't know what kind of tricks you pulled with our Chief, but you will find that you and your dragons are not welcome here. So the sooner you leave, the better it will be...for everyone," he said savagely, his hidden message quite clear. Especially as a small crowd had drawn closer in obvious support for Nasir's sentiments.

Galen and Farah gasped at the man's impudence. The young man spluttered indignantly, "Nasir…we don't talk to our guests that way."

The old man didn't even acknowledge the heir's comments, his menacing glare trained straight at the dragon riders. Hiccup returned it fearlessly, refusing to back down from the intimidation. He was not going to allow the old man and his gang to scare him so easily. Keeping his expression neutral, he could sense Astrid behind him with her axe held ready. The dragons were silent and alert, waiting for anyone to make a wrong move against their riders.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Hiccup replied slowly, crossing his arms and frowning heavily. "That's the problem with prejudice…it stops you from enjoying new experiences," he said blatantly, his voice level and calm.

Nasir gave a short bark. "New experiences? We don't want new experiences. We want those dangerous creatures gone, before they kill someone or destroy our livelihoods." He spoke loudly, and there was a murmur of agreement amongst the crowd slowly growing larger behind him.

Hiccup snorted in contempt, and indicated towards the two dragons behind him. "Dangerous? Give dragons the opportunity, and they can become our greatest friends and allies. Look at Toothless, a Night Fury and Stormfly, a Deadly Nadder. Considered two of the most dangerous dragons out there. And yet here they are, calmly sitting here in front of you all….and not one of you has died."

The old man waved his staff dismissively. "That means nothing. You have done something to them with trickery. But we all know that a dragon will always be a dragon. One day, you'll turn your back and 'bam'…you're dragon food."

There was a horrified gasp amongst the crowd and Hiccup was becoming annoyed that this man was causing so much trouble already. He wanted people to know that dragons were loyal creatures, but with the discontent that Nasir was stirring up, Hiccup knew he would have an uphill battle to convince them.

Hiccup stood up tall and said firmly, "No…that's simply not true. They are our friends. Toothless and Stormfly have proven their loyalty to us many times over…when they could easily have left us. Let me show you…." he began to say, but Nasir cut him off.

"The only good dragon is one that is under lock and key," he spat. "We need to show the beasts that mankind is the one to be feared. Drago knows what needs to be done…he's been catching all the dragons and rescuing us from their tyranny. We need him on our side…not your soft hearts telling us dragons can be friends. Am I right?" he asked the crowd, receiving a rousing cheer for an answer.

Hiccup and Astrid shared a worried glance, scanning the crowd uneasily. The name of Drago was one they'd heard a few times already, and they knew enough to be wary of him. But this was the first time they'd met such an ardent supporter of the man. Not even his own hunters had been so vehement about it.

Toothless growled, and Stormfly curled her tail up ready to strike. Hiccup and Astrid drew closer to the beasts and placed a steady hand on their respective dragons to keep them calm.

"Keep it together, bud. We're still guests here," said Hiccup lowly. He could hear Astrid soothing Stormfly in a similar fashion behind them, and he quickly glanced in her direction before turning back to Nasir.

Galen and Farah were worried, looking around at those villagers who were siding with the cantankerous old man. The Chief was nowhere to be seen to quell the uprising, so Galen stepped forward bravely in his absence.

"Our Chief has invited Hiccup and Astrid to our island. And we _will_ be giving them a chance to show us what they came here for," he announced loudly. He turned to glare at each of the main offenders, causing the crowd to quieten a little. "They and their dragons will be left unharmed while they are on our island. Am I clear?" he asked.

Farah walked over to stand beside her brother in support. The crowd drew back, not wanting to create any more disturbance in front of the Chief's son and heir.

Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks," he said quietly to the siblings.

Nasir sneered at the dragon riders and shook his staff at them before beginning to turn and walk away. Before he left, he twisted his head back to offer a final piece of advice. "Don't think just because our Chief has invited you that you are safe here," he warned in a low voice. "Your precious Night Fury and Deadly Nadder won't escape Drago. You'll see."

And with that, he stalked off.


	18. Chapter 18 Big Trouble

**Slowly, slowly on the updates! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...yet!**

* * *

Galen gave a deep sigh, relieved that the tense situation had dissolved...for now. The young man was no fool, he knew trouble would return. While he had to admit he was curious about what the strangers were saying about dragons, he also knew that the town would be split into two main camps. Galen and his sister were used to their father's fits of whimsy, but he had to wonder what had been going through his father's head when he decided to allow dragons of all creatures, into their town.

Galen turned to watch the young couple still with their dragons, glancing at Farah as he did. She nodded, so he walked closer...albeit very warily.

"Er...Hiccup? Astrid? Can we show you to your lodgings?" he asked carefully.

The Haddocks both raised their heads towards him. "Sure, that would be appreciated," Hiccup told him, casting an anxious glance towards his wife.

"This way please," said Farah politely, indicating the way she wanted them to go. She and her brother stepped out in the lead, but Farah couldn't help but flick an apprehensive glance towards the two large beasts following quietly behind their guests as if it was an everyday occurrence. (Which of course, it was...to them).

The siblings led Hiccup and Astrid to the house they reserved for guests, and opened the door. Suddenly, a very large black blur pushed past them into the building, spinning an astonished Farah round in the process. Galen steadied her before she fell.

"What happened?" she asked in shocked bewilderment.

Hiccup chuckled and followed his dragon into the house. "Someone is a little spoiled," he said pointedly, aiming his comment towards the uninterested Night Fury. Toothless merely snorted. He turned away, his intention clearly to investigate the rest of the house, but his fully packed saddlebags knocked into the table, sending it crashing to the ground.

Hiccup rushed forward. "Woah, bud. Let me take that off," he said, deftly loosening the straps and removing the saddle and the bags. No sooner had he slid the leatherwork from the Fury's back, then Toothless had wriggled free and was up the stairs. Hiccup chuckled.

Galen and Farah had followed Hiccup into the house, but Astrid remained outside with her Nadder. Stormfly was much too big to enter as Toothless had, but Astrid was not about to leave her dragon unprotected. She opened the door to the empty storehouse beside the main building instead. The action caused dust to swirl wildly around her, making her cough. But otherwise, she was satisfied Stormfly would be comfy in the there. She walked in with Stormfly, and proceeded to remove the Nadder's saddle ready for some post-flight care.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Galen and Farah were in wide-eyed awe at being in such close proximity to a dragon. Hiccup watched them staring at Toothless moving about, quite pleased that they hadn't shied away from him.

"Would you like to meet him?" he asked the siblings, just as Toothless completed his tour of the building, and pushed under Hiccup's arm. The dragon turned his gaze on the pair, just as curious about them as they were about him.

Galen started at the suggestion. "Er..." he hesitated.

"Would that be alright?" asked Farah, her voice shaking with excitement.

"Sure. You'd love that, wouldn't you bud?" Hiccup said, giving his dragon an affectionate scrub. Toothless eagerly responded to Hiccup's touch, rubbing himself up against the slender man and almost knocking him over. "See? You're nothing more than an overgrown puppy, aren't you," Hiccup teased.

Toothless gave him a massive lick in response, making the siblings jump and give a shocked laugh at the sight.

"Aww bud, you didn't have to do that," said Hiccup in disgust, wiping dragon slobber off his flight suit and flicking it back. Toothless sat back on his haunches and shook his head. He used one paw to wipe his face clean.

Hiccup waited till the dragon was finished, then turned to Farah. "Just put your hand out like this," he said, demonstrating how to do it.

She copied him.

"That's it, now keep your hand there but turn your body away to show trust. Always let the dragon approach you...never approach the dragon," Hiccup told them quietly.

Farah did as instructed, and was soon rewarded with a warm dragon snout in the palm of her hand.

She sucked in a quick breath at the sensation, turning back to find Toothless crooning at her with his wide green eyes. Farah couldn't stop smiling as she tentatively explored further along the reptilian jaw, marveling at the warm scales under her fingertips.

"Galen, you've got to try this," she said breathlessly, drawing closer to Toothless.

Hiccup turned to her brother, inviting him closer with a generous smile. Galen was a little panicked at the idea, but watching his sister boldly stroking a Night Fury, he decided that he could do it too.

Galen mimicked what he had seen Hiccup and Farah do, and soon had a handful of dragon under his palm.

"Wow!"

Hiccup chuckled at the older man's reaction. "See? That's how easy it is. As long as you have no weapons on you when you approach a dragon, you'll soon gain their trust...and their loyalty."

"This is great!" said Farah, still stroking a very happily pampered dragon, with Galen doing the same on the other side. "Can we fly him?" she asked excitedly.

"Woah! One step at a time," laughed Hiccup, putting his hands up. "Toothless is rather special. He has unique saddlery that needs a trained rider to fly." He pointed out the prosthetic fin still attached to Toothless' tail.

"He's missing a tailfin?" said Galen, in shock now that he could see clearly that the dragon's tail was not complete. He hadn't noticed it before, being too concerned about the fire breathing end of the dragons to check out their tails.

"But I thought a downed dragon was a dead dragon?" he said, confused between what he could plainly see and what he had been trained to believe all of his life.

Hiccup nodded awkwardly. "Uh...normally that would be correct. But as you can see, we managed to overcome that."

"That's amazing. I haven't seen anything like that before," said Farah, daring to walk closer to the Night Fury's prosthetic. Toothless immediately swished his tail away from her.

"Er, he's a little protective of it, as you can imagine," said Hiccup, explaining the dragon's reaction.

Farah stopped, her cheeks reddening at her blunder. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry."

Hiccup gave her a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. No damage done. But if you want to fly, I'd suggest maybe Astrid taking you out on Stormfly."

"What are we doing on Stormfly?" asked Astrid, walking in through the front door. She dumped the saddlebag she was carrying on the floor.

Hiccup smiled fondly towards his wife. "Farah was keen to go flying. I was suggesting Stormfly might be a better choice to learn on."

Astrid beamed brightly at the mention of her beloved dragon. "Of course. She loves to fly, and despite her size, she's very gentle."

Astrid spoke to both siblings, but Hiccup couldn't help but notice that Galen had taken to staring at Astrid with keen interest. A flash of jealousy surged through him and he frowned. Toothless took that moment to yawn widely, gaining everyone's attention. The dragon left the young people to shoot a short flame towards the cold fireplace, lighting it up. When he was content that the fire was to his satisfaction, he turned in a circle, throwing flame down on the stone floor as he did. Within moments he had dropped contentedly to his knees over the scorched ground, curling up on himself for a snooze.

"And there goes Toothless," said Astrid, grinning at the Night Fury. Looking up, she was taken aback to notice Galen's eyes on her. Hiccup saw this too. Deciding to do something about it, Hiccup approached his wife and possessively slid his arm around her waist. He pulled her close and planted a very determined kiss on her surprised lips.

"What was that for?" she asked quietly, with a small frown. Hiccup's kisses were normally tender. That one felt like he was making a claim, and she wanted to know why.

"Can't I kiss my beautiful wife?" Hiccup said, in an innocent tone. But Astrid knew him better than that. She scowled at him.

Hiccup only turned to give Galen a challenging glare, and the other man was quick to back up, dropping his gaze in a chastened manner.

Astrid put one finger up. "Will you excuse us for a moment please?" she said sweetly to the startled siblings. She tugged on Hiccup's arm and yanked him into the backroom. Once the door was closed she turned on him.

"What was that?" she hissed at him, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Hiccup looked a little guilty, but not sorry. "Letting him know where the boundaries are. You are my wife...and not for him or any other male to ogle or stare at," he said firmly.

Astrid glared at him, annoyed at his possessive tactics, even if she understood the reasoning behind them. She frowned. "I'm not a piece of meat to fight over," she reminded him harshly.

"No...you're not," he agreed. "But you are still my wife, and it would be foolish of me to stand back and let others think they can do whatever they want with you. I needed to remind Galen of that." Hiccup said it gently and sincerely and Astrid found it difficult to raise the feeling of ire against him, while she was gazing into his caring green eyes.

"Fine...just don't do it again," she snapped after a moment.

Hiccup had a gleam in his eye. He took a step closer to her, watching how her breath hitched in her throat, even as she tried to keep her frown. "Never ever?" he asked softly.

She scowled harder, although Hiccup could see she was really struggling to keep it up. She stood her ground with her arms crossed. "If you don't behave, then ….no," she told him with determination, her voice wavering a little.

He crossed around behind her, before pulling her back into his chest. He nuzzled her neck, and she gave a small sigh. "I'm still mad at you," she whispered, unable to fight him off any longer.

Running light kisses up her neck and to her jawline, he spoke lowly, his voice vibrating against her skin. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me?"

She melted into him. "That's not fair," she protested quietly.

Turning her around, he took her lips captive with his. Her jaw was gently caressed by his warm hands, and she wrapped her arms loosely around his waist, returning the kiss with just as much passion. Way too soon for her liking, he pulled back. "Do you accept my apology?" he asked with a smirk, watching her hooded eyes still glazed over.

"No, I need more," she told him, attempting to draw him closer.

"Gladly, but I think our hosts might be wondering where we are," he reminded her, with a light kiss to her temple.

Astrid's eyes snapped open. "Oh no! Umm…do I look okay?" she asked nervously, pulling back from him, and smoothing back her slightly disheveled hair.

Hiccup grinned at the sight of her. She looked like a woman in love. And that suited him just fine. Taking her hand, he told her softly, "You look perfect to me."

Astrid smacked his shoulder, but kept hold of his hand anyway, leading them back out to their guests.

"Sorry about that," she said brightly.

Hiccup kept Galen within eyeshot, who was clearly repentant. Hiccup supposed he couldn't really blame him. Astrid was a beautiful girl, and Hiccup often felt unworthy of her affections. He still couldn't believe that she had actually married him...willingly. Hiccup gave her hand a gentle squeeze and Astrid returned it.

"Sooo...dragons. Do you think you might like your own?" asked Hiccup to their hosts.

Farah's eyes were bright with excitement, colour rushing up her cheeks. "That sounds wonderful! How soon can we start?" she asked eagerly.

"Well...I expect to have a discussion with the Chief later this afternoon. I'm hoping we might be able to find a few keen villagers and start tomorrow morning. Maybe you two can be the stars of our first demonstration?" Hiccup asked, watching their reactions closely.

By the loud squeal that burst forth from Farah, it was easy to see she was going to be there. But Galen's response was more reserved. He was apprehensive, chewing on his bottom lip in concentrated worry.

"Is there a problem?" Hiccup asked.

"Er...yes. I don't know if this will be a good idea," he said cautiously.

When Farah sucked in her breathe, and the Haddocks both stiffened, he hastened to clarify himself. "It's not because I don't like dragons, or I'm frightened of them...I've always felt if they don't attack us, we should leave them alone...but you've met Vadik and Nasir. Both of them hate dragons with a passion, and will stop at nothing to get rid of them. I fear that anybody who shows an interest in what you have to teach will be forcefully 'persuaded' to stay away...or worse."

Astrid scowled, "I knew he was a scum bucket," she growled fiercely, her fists clenched.

Hiccup's lips thinned in anger, but he stayed calm. "Do you have any suggestions?" he asked the young heir.

Galen shook his head and shrugged. "Not really...except maybe go ahead with whatever dad wants you to do. Just don't be surprised if nobody volunteers…or is able to volunteer."

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully. "I noticed the arena when we arrived. The entrance can be blocked, but people will still be able to see what's happening. As long as they show up to watch, we can go ahead with a successful lesson. I don't expect to change long held beliefs in one day, anyway."

"Maybe the villagers will be more comfortable in smaller groups?" said Astrid, suggesting a different approach.

Hiccup smiled warmly at his wife. "That's a good idea, Astrid. Depending on what happens tomorrow, that might be our next plan."

"You can count on us, at least," said Farah eagerly. She was practically bouncing on her feet, and the others all laughed at her contagious enthusiasm. Even Toothless lifted his head, and gave a gummy smile.

"Trust you," snorted her brother. But he held an especially wide grin for his sister.

-oOo-

Later that afternoon, Farah came back to escort Hiccup for a private meeting with the Chief at his home. Astrid stayed at their lodgings with the dragons, neither rider comfortable with the idea of leaving them alone by themselves until they were more sure of who was an ally...and who was an enemy.

"Ahh, Hiccup. Come in, come in," said Maarav vaguely, waving him into the house. Hiccup nodded and stepped in. Farah excused herself.

Maarav's wife Banu, was quietly bustling away in the background, preparing a hot drink and some bread for their guest. She served it to Hiccup after he had sat at their table.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, his warm smile directed straight at the older woman. Banu gave him a welcoming smile in return, before silently moving back towards the kitchen.

"So Hiccup...what do you think of my village so far?" Maarav asked, picking up a piece of bread and indicating to his guest to do the same.

Hiccup selected a piece and held it before him. "You have quite a large town, from what I could see," said Hiccup truthfully. "It seems you are quite prosperous."

The Chief nodded gleefully. "We are, and that's something we're quite proud of. My men know how to get the job done right."

Hiccup didn't want to voice his doubts about the Chief's methods, so he changed subjects. "I did notice your arena when we flew in. Is that where Astrid and I will be teaching?"

Maarav nodded. "Ah, straight to it. Yes, that's right. We don't have any dragons at the moment for training. The last lot were all…er…disposed of and we haven't captured any more yet. I expect that shouldn't be a problem?"

Hiccup's lips pressed together in anger, and he closed his eyes momentarily while he suppressed a shudder at the unsaid message. He had to remind himself he and Astrid were there for that very reason...to stop the senseless slaughter of dragons, and teach instead how much more valuable the beasts were as friends. He opened his eyes.

Hiccup smiled thinly. "No, that will be fine. We'll demonstrate with Toothless and Stormfly for now. I'm sure we'll be able to find some soon and train them for anybody who wants to befriend one. Will you be the first?"

Maarav chuckled. "No Hiccup. You will find me with my feet firmly on the ground. I expect you want to start as soon as possible?"

Hiccup nodded. "I was hoping to start fresh tomorrow morning, if that's permitted? Galen and Farah have already volunteered to be the first ones to learn how."

The Chief gave a brief smile. "I would expect nothing less. Tomorrow morning will be fine. I'll have Vadik announce it at breakfast for those who want to participate."

Hiccup hesitated. "Er, Chief…I wonder if I might ask about Nasir? He approached us after you left with your wife earlier today. It seems he's not very happy about having the dragons here," he began cautiously.

"Nasir? He's an old man and harmless enough. You don't have to worry about him," Maarav said dismissively.

Hiccup's ire began to rise, and he had to take a deeper breath to remind himself he was still a guest. "He seemed to have a fair part of the crowd supporting him," Hiccup warned.

Maarav waved his hand as if waving away a pesky fly. "Nasir is just a complainer. He has nothing better to do with his time. Nobody listens to him."

Hiccup's brows dipped. "We used to have a man on our own island who did the same thing as Nasir. If there was anything to object to, he would be the one doing it. But even though most people didn't like him, he still managed to stir people up. He almost cost me my dragon several times. Eventually, he sided with our enemy and tried to destroy Berk...just so he could get rid of the dragons. We found it wasn't wise to disregard such a man...especially one with a vendetta."

Hiccup's warning was clear...dismiss at your own cost. Maarav stared hard at his young visitor, his eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't be telling me how to run my village, now would you." Maarav said in a low voice, a dangerous glint in his eye. Banu paused in her work in the kitchen, her focus directly on her husband. She shook her head slightly at Hiccup.

Hiccup realised his error immediately. "No sir. I was concerned that this man might cause problems, as he seemed adamant about stopping us. Obviously you know your people better than I do, so I will rely on your judgement."

Maarav nodded in satisfaction, although he still had a hard expression on his face. "As long as you keep remembering that, we won't have a problem."

Hiccup shook his head, even if he was seething inside. "No sir. I'll remember that."

"Good. I expect to see the two of you in the arena straight after breakfast tomorrow," said Maarav, turning back to his bread and tea. Hiccup knew he had been dismissed, so took his leave. He stood up, and Banu was quickly beside him to guide him towards the exit.

She walked outside after Hiccup, closing the solid door firmly behind her. When they were far enough away, Banu spoke. "Hiccup...I see you are a passionate man, believing completely in your cause. But I must ask you to be careful. My husband can sometimes...miss things that others can see clearly, but I assure you, he means well. He has the needs of the village in his heart, and he does things according to his own methods. He just needs to be given...a gentle nudge occasionally, to make sure things are done right."

Hiccup gave a quiet chuckle at this, despite his frustrations. He could see that even though Maarav was perhaps not as tuned in as the man thought he was, his wife Banu was clearly the rudder, steering him in the right direction.

It made him think of another strong willed woman who had found a way to keep her wayward husband in line...mostly. Right now she would be waiting impatiently for him to return.

"I apologize Banu, if I have caused offense and created problems for you," he told the matronly woman.

She smiled warmly at him. "I know you meant no harm. Just...take care while you are here. This is not a safe place for dragons...or their riders."

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully. "Will you be taking part in our demonstration tomorrow?" he asked, thinking the Chief's wife would be an excellent ice breaker for many.

She laughed, in a way that made Hiccup think he was missing vital information. Shaking her head she told him, "It's not my part to play. I will leave that to you young ones. Although I will support you both as much as possible." She paused in her walking, indicating she was going no further.

"Thank you," Hiccup replied gratefully, and left her to return to Astrid. They had a lot of planning to do.

-oOo-

The next morning, found Hiccup standing beside his dragon, dressed in full riding leathers with his mask lifted up. He was peering down on the arena from his vantage point, a small rise, using his eyeglass.

"What can you see?" asked Astrid. She was astride Stormfly, who was jiggling in excitement.

"Maarav's not there yet. Vadik's already in place on the platform, but I can't see Nasir anywhere," he told his wife, still focused on the action. "Galen and Farah are in the arena as planned, but nobody else can get through. I can see several guards keeping away anybody who has been brave enough to come forward."

Astrid growled. "I told you he was a slime ball. Can't I just 'accidentally' drop an axe on Nasir when we fly over?" she asked.

Hiccup lowered his eyeglass to chuckle at her. "Only if you want to start a war. Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop him." He raised his eyeglass again to search further. "Nasir is obviously smart enough to keep his activities hidden. So if the Chief believes that Nasir won't cause problems, then it will be up to us to keep an eye on him instead."

Astrid nodded to herself. She certainly planned to keep track of the troublesome old man as much as she could.

"Right, Chief Maarav and his wife have arrived. It's time to do our routine," said Hiccup, packing his eyeglass away before climbing into the saddle.

He stroked the top of Toothless head. "Ready bud? We need to make this good." The dragon under him pumped his leathery wings and rumbled deep in his chest, impatient to go.

Hiccup laughed, then turned to his wife. "Ready m'lady?"

Astrid tightened her grip on the handlebars attached to her saddle and gave a firm nod. "I was born ready," she told him.

Hiccup flipped his mask down as Toothless hunkered down. "Then let's do this."

With that, the two dragons launched themselves powerfully in the air, the sound of the strong wings echoing towards the arena where their audience awaited. All eyes were on the two dragons flying hard towards them. As they got closer to the mesmerized Vikings, the two separated. Astrid circled around the arena at a height that had the people on the ground craning their necks and shielding their eyes to see her.

Hiccup and Toothless continued to punch their way higher and higher, aiming for the clouds. Their turn was yet to come.

Astrid spoke. "Ready girl? Nice and level, just like we practiced." Stormfly trilled and pumped hard for a few more wing beats before stretching her wings out straight and level as the duo glided through the air.

Astrid brought her feet up to perch on the saddle, then carefully stood up. Even from the height she was at, she could hear the gasp of fear and astonishment from the crowd. She turned to face Stormfly's tail. Balancing carefully she took calculated steps down the Nadder's spine. When she had reached her destination, she turned again to face forward, her arms straight out to keep her position.

Stormfly gave another two flaps to maintain their height, then went back to gliding. Astrid took in a deep breath, finding the right moment to roll forward into a hands-free somersault, landing gracefully with her feet firmly planted and her hands still outstretched. She smiled at the screams of terror coming from the crowd at her actions, the audience fully expecting to see the young woman plummeting to her death.

Astrid dropped into the saddle. "Good girl. Now for the next part." With that, she leant to one side, Stormfly reacting immediately and rolling with her. They barrel rolled through the air for two revolutions then pulled out straight. Astrid could hear excited applause being given, and decided to give the audience a closer inspection of her dragon.

She swooped down so low over the audience, that they only had to reach out with their hands and they would have touched Stormfly's feet. Vikings ducked in all directions and Astrid laughed loudly in delight. It particularly pleased her to see Vadik throwing himself to the ground.

She directed Stormfly higher, and they circled wide to land on the rise. She had done her part...it was now time for the for the main attraction. Astrid was just as keen to see Hiccup and Toothless in action as the rest of them. It didn't matter how many times she'd seen them perform, she always found it breathtaking to watch the duo together. They were almost like one being, they were so finely tuned towards each other.

She stared towards the clouds, along with the crowd surrounding the Arena, waiting for the black dragon and his rider to make an appearance.

Up above, Hiccup and Toothless had been circling high, barely hidden amongst the clouds. He had watched Astrid's performance with keen interest, bursting with pride at his wife's talents. When she left, he stroked the warm scales of his best friend. "Ready, bud?"

Toothless warbled, and Hiccup clicked the tail fin into position. The two began to plummet straight down till they reached about half way. From there, they leveled off in a wide circle before Toothless began pumping his wings to take them up again. Hiccup pulled Toothless over so they were flying upside down in a large loop. As they began the downwards section, Hiccup pulled in even tighter against the dragon's back and Toothless spun them into a tight corkscrew movement, spinning so fast he was just a blur in the sky.

Just as it looked like they were going to plummet into the ocean below, Toothless snapped out his wings to slow down their rotations. Once more in the upwards position, Toothless dived towards the ocean flapping his wings madly to pick up speed. They shot over the surface of the waves, creating a pressure spray of salt water to rise behind them, to the amazement of those who had rushed towards that edge of the arena to see them more clearly.

"Yeah, baby!" shouted Hiccup, his adrenaline pumping hard through his veins. Toothless once again aimed for the skies, not stopping till they were only a speck to the people watching eagerly below. When they reached the clouds, Hiccup sat up in his saddle. He swung the lever over that locked the Night Fury's tail fin into place, allowing him to glide on his own.

"What do you think, bud? Should we try out our new move?"

Toothless eyes opened wide in alarm, before narrowing. He grumbled in irritation.

"Toothless...it'll be fine," said Hiccup stroking the thick neck, attempting to reassure the reluctant dragon. He unhooked himself from the saddle then sat up straight, rolling his shoulders in preparation.

Without waiting for a sign of approval from the Night Fury, Hiccup deliberately slipped sideways off his saddle, falling head first towards the open ocean.

A collective gasp came from the horrified Vikings watching the young man falling to his doom. Only Vadik wore a triumphant smirk in his position beside the Chief. Maarav and Banu were both rigid with tension, their eyes not leaving the two dark streaks falling vertically down at a rapid pace.

Galen and Farah were standing in the middle of the arena, arms wrapped tightly around the other. Farah couldn't stand it any longer, squeezing her eyes shut and burying her face into her brother's broad chest. Galen's mouth was open in shock, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from what he was seeing.

Astrid was standing up in the saddle, her eyes glued to the reckless shape of her husband. "Hiccup, I hope you know what you're doing," she begged quietly, watching Toothless struggle to catch up with his rider.

Just when it seemed all was lost, Hiccup punched his hands towards leather loops attached to his calves. His hands caught on the loops and Hiccup ripped his arms out sideways revealing a thin skin of leather resembling gliding wings between his arms and legs.

A huge gasp of astonishment rose from the watching crowd, now understanding this dare devil action was part of Hiccup's performance. Sure enough, Toothless shot a short burst of plasma fire over Hiccup's head, causing his rider to swerve to avoid it.

Astrid breathed a small sigh of relief, and sat back down. She wouldn't relax until he was safely back in the saddle or in her arms, but for now things were going to plan. It was time for her to rejoin her husband in the air.

"Let's go girl. We have to catch him," she said, urging Stormfly up.

The Deadly Nadder didn't take long to reach the two solo flyers. Toothless swooped down on Hiccup and grabbed him by the shoulders. This had the effect of stopping Hiccup's undirected flight, and he found himself abruptly being tossed onto the waiting back of Stormfly.

"Thank you, m'lady. Time for me to go," said Hiccup cheerfully to his wife while rapidly rolling his wings back into hidden pockets. He then leapt towards the Night Fury gliding beneath Stormfly.

The two riders and their dragons circled around together, heading back towards the arena. This was the finale, with targets set up in a cleared spot behind the arena. Stormfly went first, swooping down low and perfectly hitting her target with a large magma blast of flame. The audience cheered loudly, while some Vikings who had wandered too close ducked and ran for cover.

Hiccup had chosen to sweep around the perimeter of the arena, and as he passed by the entrance he saw quite clearly Nasir standing there staring at him. He could see from the old man's position that Nasir would be hidden from the Chief's sight. The vindictive grin on the weathered face, combined with the old man pointing his staff directly towards him showed that he had intended to be seen by the Night Fury rider.

Hiccup's eyes hardened at the challenge, and he wore a look of determination under his mask. If Nasir thought he was going to frighten him, he had another thing coming.

Patting the scaly neck of his Night Fury, Hiccup leaned forward. "Let's go full power bud...just to remind them who they're dealing with."

Toothless warbled his agreement, and Hiccup lined up his target, a stack of barrels. Before he drew too close, Stormfly shot across first, flinging out a tail full of spines towards her second target. Somehow, one of the spines 'managed' to end up right in front of the foot of Vadik himself. He yelped and jumped back, glaring at the blonde warrior. Astrid only waved cheerily back at him.

Toothless came in low and fast, the sonic whistle making Vikings duck in nervous fear.

"Now bud!" yelled Hiccup. Toothless opened his maw, a bright purple light flaring in warning. He shot a plasma blast towards his target, the barrels exploding loudly and violently. Pieces of shattered timber flew dangerously in all directions with screaming Vikings throwing themselves to the ground.

"Good work, Toothless," said Hiccup, satisfied with their performance. They flew down to the entrance to join Astrid and Stormfly. Hiccup searched for the old man, but he had disappeared.

As planned, they entered the arena to join a beaming Galen and Farah, who were totally in awe at what they had just seen. The next stage of the lesson, was to briefly demonstrate how to approach a dragon and the reasons why you would. Hiccup spoke loudly to the crowd, wanting to encourage them to see how calm dragons could be if they were approached with the right intentions.

The siblings repeated their interactions with Toothless and Stormfly from the previous night, showing that it wasn't just the two strangers who could do this. Hiccup called out for volunteers, even though he suspected none would come.

Sure enough, despite the many curious and eager faces, nobody moved. The few that tried, were rapidly yanked back by their family or friends, desperate to prevent the undesired outcome. Toothless and Stormfly were restless. Hiccup couldn't blame them. Even he could sense the veil of fear hanging over the crowd. And he didn't think it was the dragons they were afraid of.

After the demonstration was over, Hiccup and Astrid were talking with Chief Maarav and his family. Maarav gave a half-hearted smile at the duo. Placing his hand on the Fury riders shoulder, he spoke consolingly, "Never mind Hiccup. Wait a few more days, then try again. Maybe some will be interested then."

Hiccup could only nod stiffly, not daring to say anything in case he inadvertently uttered something inflammatory about the Chiefs choice of principal men and their methods.

Maarav was walking away, but Banu had a bright smile for the young riders. "That was an amazing performance," she told them both energetically. Hiccup had to chuckle at her enthusiasm. Astrid grinned proudly. "Thank you."

Banu left with her husband, leaving the dragon riders with Galen and Farah. Galen noticed the way Hiccup was staring after his father.

"I know my dad can be a bit...vague, but don't underestimate him. He has a ferocious temper once he's stirred up," he warned.

"Why does he tolerate Vadik?" Hiccup wanted to know.

Galen shrugged. "Because he needs him to get things done. Plus Vadik isn't stupid enough to challenge dad because he knows he would come off second best...then lose his position."

Hiccup frowned. "Doesn't he see what Vadik is doing?"

Galen shook his head. "Father doesn't really care what Vadik does, as long as the villagers are safe and happy...which they usually are, except when it comes to dragons."

"Or anything else that Vadik doesn't like," suggested Hiccup wryly, noticing the wide berth people were taking around them and the dragons.

"Hey Farah! Looking for all this?" shouted a male voice not far from them. Hiccup and Astrid looked up in time to see a buff guy with brown hair tied back in a braid, flexing his arm muscles at Farah. She was obviously not impressed, if the disgusted sneer was anything to go by. The guy kissed each of his arms in a show of promoting his 'manliness' to the Chief's daughter. Astrid was immediately reminded of Snotlout, doing his best to impress some poor girl...usually Astrid...into reverential worship of his muscles.

"Ergh...sorry guys. I suddenly feel sick," Farah said. "Do you mind if we move elsewhere?" She was trying to be polite but the poor girl really did look ill, her face contorted with revulsion.

Astrid took hold of Farah's elbow and guided her away. "It's okay...we understand," she said quietly as they walked. "Mine was called Snotlout...although I hate to admit it, he did become one of our friends...eventually."

Farah gave a listless brief smile. "Pretty sure I won't be doing that," she told Astrid, forlornly.

The four young people and their two dragons moved to a quieter section of the village. Galen and Hiccup were busy discussing tactics for the next lesson in three days' time. Astrid was listening intently, but she caught Farah surreptitiously giving a small coy smile to someone. But at first glance, there was nobody there. Astrid carefully turned her head in the direction that Farah was facing. Across the clearing, hiding up against the wall of a building, she saw the sailor that Hiccup and Toothless had rescued. He was trying to be discrete about it, but Astrid could see that the man was making eyes at Farah. Astrid tried hard to disguise her smirk by covering over her mouth. So Farah had a secret love, did she?

Astrid casually took hold of Hiccup's hand and tugged gently to gain his attention. Hiccup turned to his wife with a questioning look. She leaned forward to murmur in his ear. "Check out who's making eyes at our Chief's daughter?"

Hiccup glanced in the direction she indicated and sucked in a shocked breath. "That's the guy Toothless and I saved," he said quietly. But not quietly enough.

Farah heard and her attention immediately snapped to Hiccup. "You saved Ivar? How? When?" she asked in alarm.

Hiccup shot a worried glance towards Astrid, before putting his hand up to reassure Farah. "It's okay. He ended up going for a little swim, and Toothless pulled him out, that's all." Neither he nor Astrid wanted to tell Farah anything further about the incident. Not till they knew more about the pair of them, anyway.

Galen stepped up to his sister, to offer a comforting hug. "It's okay, sis," he told her gently. "Ivar told me what happened. It was a simple accident, that's all."

Hiccup and Astrid were both surprised to hear this, but when Galen shot them a pleading glance, they realised what was going on. Obviously Galen had been told the full story...and it wasn't for Farah to know.

Farah stared at her brother with worry and panic etched across her features. "If it was an accident, then why hasn't he told me about it?" she asked in concern.

"He didn't want to upset you, that's all. Besides, you haven't had much chance to speak with him since the ships returned, have you?" Galen told his sister.

She shook her head.

"See? It's okay. He would have told you if he had the chance, you know that," Galen tried to reassure her.

Farah gave her brother a frustrated swat to the chest, but he took it without saying anything. "Why can't he catch a break?" she asked, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"You know why."

She gave an annoyed sigh, and nodded. Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other with raised brows. There was quite obviously more to this story, and they were curious about it.

While they were debating silently between themselves whether to ask or not, Toothless had noticed something else. His ear flaps stood up in alarm, with his attention focused on a tall tree further away from the group. A small boy was dangling precariously from one of the branches and struggling to regain his grip. He had slipped and was now in danger of falling.

Toothless did not hesitate. He whipped around and raced towards the tree, stretching up the trunk to where the child was. The boy's face was frozen in an expression of fear, staring wide eyed at the black dragon. Toothless crooned softly, his green eyes wide with compassion. He tried to reassure the boy, but the young lad was too frightened and kicked wildly. This had the unfortunate result of causing the branch to crack slightly. The young boy froze, staring at the break then back to Toothless just beneath his feet. To his little mind, there was only one outcome but two ways to get there.

Toothless tried to nudge the boy's legs to encourage him to slide onto his back, but the child gasped and kicked him away. The branch split a little more.

Toothless tried again, edging himself closer. He lowered his great head, and tried to position himself where the boy could easily let go and land securely on the saddle. But the lad could only think of all the stories he had been told about dangerous dragons and how they ate young children. He started to cry, then screamed in panic.

The four adults whipped their heads around, seeing the commotion. All four began racing towards the child, desperate to reach him before the unthinkable happened.

The lad squirmed, trying to avoid Toothless great mouth and regain his grip. His fingers slipped at the same time as the branch broke, sending him tumbling to the ground. His eyes screwed shut tight and he screamed a high pitched terrified sound, waiting for the crash to come.

His body jolted to a sudden stop, and he snapped his eyes open. Finding himself in the mouth of a dragon, he screamed again. Till Toothless gently brought him back to the ground, standing him up on his own two feet. The young boy stared at the dragon, who was cooing gently at him and snuffling around his body checking for injury.

The four adults rushed over to him. "Ashtar! Are you okay?" asked Farah frantically, grabbing at the child and checking him over. She soon found he was perfectly fine, apart from a little dragon slobber.

Hiccup gave his dragon a grateful scrub under his chin. "Great job, bud. You saved him."

"He...he saved me?" asked the boy hesitantly.

They all nodded. "When you fell, Toothless grabbed you and stopped you from landing on the ground," Galen told him.

"Ohh... He didn't try to eat me?" Ashtar asked, his small nose screwed up in confusion.

Hiccup chuckled. "No. He'd much rather play with you, than eat you," said Hiccup. "Besides, he loves eating fish...not children."

Toothless pushed his nose under the boy's hand. Ashtar instinctively went to withdraw it, but then stopped. He gave the dragon a tentative pat instead. Toothless wriggled with the attention and gave a wide, gummy smile much to Ashtar's delight.

"See? He wants to play. He likes you," said Astrid with a smile. The boy giggled and gave a few more pats to the warm scales.

Farah held out her hand. "Come on. We'd better get you home and let your mother know where you are," she said.

Ashtar's face immediately drooped, knowing he was going to be in trouble for climbing the tree. He gave Toothless a small wave before trudging reluctantly after Farah.

"Been there," remarked Hiccup wryly.

"Last week, I believe," said Astrid with a knowing smirk.

"Hey!" he protested.

Astrid waved him off. "Oh shush. I want to know what's going on with Farah and Ivar." She turned pointedly to Galen.

The blonde haired man sighed heavily. This story appeared to have an assured ending...and it was not a happy one.

"You remember that guy that was showing off before?" he asked. Hiccup and Astrid nodded yes. Who could forget?

"Well, that's Lars. He's Vadik's eldest son."

"Ahhh," said the Haddocks in unison. Without much more information, they were already starting to put the pieces together.

"Vadik's been pushing for Lars and Farah to get married, but of course you've already seen what she thinks about that idea. She's in love with Ivar, but she's frightened if either of them say anything about their relationship, that Ivar might suddenly 'disappear'."

"Disappear?" said Hiccup in alarm. "Why?"

Galen scanned their surroundings for any signs of eavesdroppers before leaning towards them and lowering his voice in a conspiratorial tone. "Because Ivar is an honest man...but he's terrified of Vadik...with good reason. You may have already noticed that Vadik seems to think he's the one who should be running this village. But of course there's one small problem...he's not part of the Chieftain's family. His solution to that, is to marry his son off to Farah."

Hiccup asked with a frown. "What about your dad? Does he agree to this?"

Galen nodded unhappily. "Yes. Farah's already twenty-one, so he thinks it's time she was wed. Dad can't understand why Farah won't marry the son of an influential man like Vadik. But mum knows, and she won't let Farah go."

Astrid asked, "So why can't she marry Ivar?"

Galen sighed heavily. "Well, apart from the Lars problem...dad won't agree to Ivar because he doesn't come from an influential family. He's only a sailor. But the man's good and honest. I would have him beside me in a heartbeat," vowed Galen fiercely.

Hiccup smiled at the other man's loyalty. "And obviously a good friend," he noted.

Galen gave a firm nod in agreeance. "The very best. He's pulled me out of trouble more times than I care to admit. Unfortunately, Vadik knows that and keeps Ivar close to him...in case he tells more than he should about Vadik's 'methods'."

Astrid and Hiccup were shocked at this sad tale.

"How are you going to get him out of this one?" Astrid wanted to know.

Galen shrugged helplessly, distraught written all over his face. "We don't know. The only solution we could think of would be for Ivar and Farah to run away and get married. But that would be difficult to do, and if they were caught Ivar would be killed for sure."

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully. "You've got quite a problem on your hands."

Galen's shoulders slumped forward. "I know," he said mournfully. "If only dad could see that Ivar is a good man...maybe then he would rethink his plans. But Vadik keeps Ivar locked down. He won't let dad see Ivar's true colours in case dad shows an interest in him. Vadik can't risk Ivar being near to dad."

"That's very unfortunate," said Hiccup, thinking back to a time when he himself was considered worthless.

Astrid asked curiously, "So what did happen on the ship? Ivar never told us."

Galen smiled proudly at the courage of his friend. "He saw another sailor getting bullied by Vadik, so he stood up to him. Vadik didn't like that and threw him overboard in a fit of rage. Thank you so much for rescuing him, by the way. Farah would have been devastated if anything had happened to him. Please don't tell her any of this. It would destroy her if she knew," he said, pleading with them.

Hiccup placed a reassuring hand on the bigger man's shoulder. "Don't worry. Our lips are sealed."

Astrid nodded in agreement beside him.

"Thank you," said Galen gratefully. "This means a lot to me. Farah and Ivar are both very special people, and I would do anything to make them happy...if only I knew how," he added in a dispirited tone, hanging his head in despair.

Hiccup patted Galen's shoulder and Astrid drew closer to the other side of their new friend. "We'll do whatever we can to help," he promised.

Astrid added, "Even if we have to take on Vadik and his side kick son."

Galen chuckled appreciatively. "Somehow...I think that would be quite a sight."

Astrid stood tall, every inch the proud and fierce warrior. "He will rue the day, he tried to treat me as a simple little girl."

Hiccup smiled proudly at his warrior wife. "M'lady, you are the best butt-kicking fighter out there. "

Astrid gave her loyal husband a dazzling bright smile. "Thank you babe," she said cheerfully.

Galen looked between the two Berkians.

"I'm starting to believe you two are something else," he said with a chuckle, although he couldn't hide the sense of awe he had.

Astrid stood next to her husband, linking her arm through his. "You wouldn't believe what we've already fought together...and won. We're a formidable team," she told Galen with a fierce and determined glint in her eye. Hiccup could only chuckle while Galen smiled.

-oOo-

Later that evening, Hiccup and Astrid were settled in the guest house putting in some work on their respective saddles. They were quietly discussing the day's events when a timid knock sounded at the door.

The young couple glanced at each other, before picking up their weapons. Toothless however, stood up eagerly and rushed to the door. He turned his head back to give an impatient grumble to his rider, for taking so long to follow him.

Hiccup chuckled, resting his sword back in its place and headed over. "Okay, okay...I'm coming. Keep your tail on."

Opening the door, they were surprised to find the young boy that Toothless had rescued standing there...along with his mother and four older brothers.

The mother nodded politely. "May we come in? We brought a gift," she said, indicating to the covered basket in her hand.

Hiccup stood back, allowing the family to enter. He closed the door behind them. The boys were huddled close together, staring in awe at the eager Night Fury. But the dragon only had eyes for one...young Ashtar. He snuffled around the child, making the young boy giggle. "See? He likes me," he told his brothers triumphantly, giving the broad head a gentle pat.

Hiccup got the impression the lad hadn't been believed by his siblings when he told them the story of his rescue. Toothless gave them all a gummy grin, his tongue hanging out sideways. The older boys needed no further encouragement, quickly forgetting about the adults in the room while they lavished attention on the extremely receptive black dragon.

The mother smiled in relief at the scene. She turned to offer the basket to Astrid. "I just wanted to say thank you for saving my boy. He's quite a scamp and constantly in trouble...no matter how many times I try to warn him."

Astrid tried to refuse the basket. "It's okay. That's what we...and our dragons...do. We don't need to take your food," she said gently.

The woman shook her head, then lifted up the cover. It wasn't bread or stew as they expected, but fish. "No. This is for the dragon," she told them.

Toothless seemed to know they were talking about him, because he appeared by their side with five giggling boys hanging tightly to him. He ran his tongue round his lips with a loud slurp and stared at Hiccup with his round, pleading eyes.

Hiccup laughed. "I see someone is going to become very fat and spoiled," he teased. Toothless only grinned more, his body wriggling in excitement. The boys had to hold on tight to avoid tumbling off.

"Okay...you can have it. But just this once," he warned.

-oOo-

Turned out the warning was severely rejected. That small gathering became the pattern over the next few days. Several times each evening under the cover of darkness, individuals and small groups of people would quietly tap on their door. After checking the identity of their visitors, Hiccup or Astrid would let their guests in to fawn over, learn about and straight out spoil both Toothless and Stormfly. Fish was the currency of each visit, something Hiccup tried to discourage, but still happened anyway. He would groan and roll his eyes while Stormfly and Toothless would quickly gulp them down.

Even during the day, things were no better. Within the shadows, villagers would quietly greet them and offer a hidden fish to either dragon. Hiccup was starting to think he might need to put the large beasts on a diet. In public, the same villagers wouldn't even look in their direction, preferring to scamper away. But in more secluded locations, the dragon riders were beginning to recognize the universal signal of those wanting to speak with them. It was the neck craning in each direction, scanning for any sign of Nasir or Vadik's supporters before they approached, that was the give-a-way.

After three days, Hiccup and Astrid held another demonstration. They weren't surprised when the result was exactly the same as the first. Despite the many more keen faces now present in the crowd surrounding the arena, none were courageous enough to go against Vadik and Nasir.

Astrid and Hiccup were uneasy about the whole situation. They did their best to keep track of the old man, but he seemed to be playing a game of cat and mouse with them. Every time the pair would sight him briefly, he would smirk at them in such a vindictive manner, that it made their hair stand on end. Nasir would then disappear.

There was another concern for the dragon riders. Whenever they went for a flight with Toothless and Stormfly, they would take the opportunity to search for other dragons on the island.

So far...there had been none.


	19. Chapter 19 Dragons

**Thank you to all those who have supported me so far. This story has been begging me to finish it, but too many interruptions have stopped that.**

 **This chapter has been written for a long time. It just needed the other chapters to catch up first!**

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Hiccup frowned. Something wasn't right. He and Astrid were currently flying with their dragons, searching over the entire island. It was quite large, and full of natural resources that dragons would be drawn to. However, they were already several weeks into spring, but as yet, Hiccup and Astrid had failed to find any dragons.

"Where are they?" Astrid called over to him, atop Stormfly. She was leaning to one side, peering at the forest below.

"I don't know," he said loudly. "We've been here a week already…and we haven't found one dragon yet. They should be here. Maarav has already told us they used to fight them off fairly regularly."

"Well, something's changed. Because they aren't here now."

Hiccup kept his eyes peeled on the ground below. Rubbing Toothless head, he asked, "Can you do a sweep for me, bud. See if they're hiding where we can't see them."

Toothless rumbled low in his throat, opening his mouth for a soundless bark. He tried a second and a third time. Suddenly he jerked towards a thick cluster of trees at the same time as Astrid yelled, "There! Something's there!" She pointed towards the same patch of forest that Toothless was interested in.

"Sharp as ever," Hiccup grinned to himself, both dragons heading into a rapid dive. There was a very small clearing where Stormfly and Toothless were able to land. Hiccup and Astrid slid off their dragons, weapons already drawn. The bushes ahead were shaking, indicating something large was hiding in there.

Indicating to Astrid to be quiet, Hiccup pointed for her to go in one direction, while he himself went the other. Motioning for the dragons to stay put, the two riders stealthily snuck around the edges. They hadn't gone far, when a loud 'crash' resounded through the trees. Hiccup froze, as the sound was closest to him. It was good that he did, because moments later he sighted a long jaw pushing slowly through the leaves of the bush in front of him.

Waiting patiently with Inferno held firmly in his hand, he held his breath, knowing how sensitive Hobblegrunt's were to their surroundings. For he had recognized it as such, as soon as he'd seen the elongated purple lower jaw. Despite not having seen one before, Fishleg's prodigious study habits on dragons had benefited Hiccup once again.

The jaw hesitated, and Hiccup worried that the dragon was going to pull back. But it was only a moment before the jaw kept coming, till finally it's whole head and frill had surfaced through the branches, it's body not far behind. The dragon had obviously noticed him, but to Hiccup's confusion, it didn't look directly at him. In fact, it was behaving rather strangely. The Hobblegrunt changed in colour from purple, to red, to purple again, it's massive frill fluctuating between standing up erect, then calming back down. On top of that, it kept shaking its head and twisting its long neck round so that it's short little arms could reach to scratch its face.

Hiccup stayed frozen in his spot, observing the dragon. On the other side, he saw Astrid creeping up past some bushes. He gave a brief shake of his head, and she too stopped dead. Taking a closer look back at the dragon, he noticed its lashes were blinking rapidly over whitened eyeballs. The dragon was blind! No wonder it was behaving so differently. It couldn't see him. And from the amount of itching it was doing, it must have also been in a lot of pain.

Taking a chance, Hiccup stepped backwards. He didn't want to startle the beast and cause it to attack. Motioning to Astrid at the same time, he tried to indicate the poor thing was blind. She seemed to get the message, as she nodded and stayed back.

Hiccup's movement had not gone unnoticed, and the Hobblegrunt whipped his head around towards Hiccup, letting loose with a barrage of fire as he did. Hiccup yelped and jumped backwards out of the road, stumbling and nearly falling in the process.

Quickly gaining his footing, he decided to give it all he could. "Hey there fella. You're okay. I'm not going to hurt you," he said in a soothing and calm voice. The dragon lowered his head, and rumbled. His frill rose up in alert and his colour kept fluctuating between purple and red. Hiccup was worried about the amount of red showing up, as he knew that meant danger. But purple was more curiosity.

He lit inferno and waved it around, hoping the smell of fire and the heat would help calm the nervous dragon. It seemed to be working, as his colour changed to more of the purple.

"There you go, see? It's not so bad. I have fire too."

The Hobblegrunt seemed mesmerized by the sound and the heat of the flame, and his head began to sway in time with the sword. Suddenly, it jerked its head up, seeming to stare over Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup could hear the sounds of heavy footsteps behind him, and he knew exactly who they belonged to. He beckoned frantically to Astrid. She nodded and raced as stealthily as possible through the trees, circling around Hiccup and the Hobblegrunt to end up behind him. She was just in time to block Toothless and Stormfly from interrupting him.

Now with the two protective dragons stayed, Hiccup was able to fully concentrate on the moody dragon, eventually coming closer and closer till…

"There. See? I'm your friend," murmured Hiccup, running his hand over the massive jaw. Up close, he could see both the dragon's eyes were irritated and damaged, fresh dragon tears running down its cheeks. "You've been injured by something."

Astrid stepped up cautiously behind him. "What's wrong with him?" she asked lowly.

"His eyes have been damaged somehow. He's in a lot of pain too."

"There might be something to soothe him in Brenda's medicine kit that she gave us," said Astrid. "I can fly back and get it."

"Good idea. I'll stay here with him for now," said Hiccup, continuing to stroke the Hobblegrunt.

Astrid had been gone about ten minutes, when Hiccup heard something else. He couldn't be sure, but it sounded like a dragon in trouble. Normally, he would climb into the saddle and head for the commotion, but he couldn't do that right now. The Hobblegrunt in its blind state was defenceless. He quickly made a decision.

"Toothless, stay here with him please. I'm going to find out where that noise is coming from," he told the worried Night Fury. Toothless crooned at him in concern.

"It's okay, bud. I'll be careful. I'm more worried about this guy right now."

Toothless wasn't reassured by this, but let Hiccup go anyway. The young man didn't hang around, but took off at a fast pace through the unfamiliar forest towards the sound. A short time later, Hiccup was staring with his mouth hanging open at the unexpected sight. He was on the far side of the island, on the edge of an open grassy area with the ocean cliffs beyond. But it wasn't the flora or the view that caught his attention…it was the huge steel trap in the middle of it. The trap was shaped like a massive dome, with the two top sections currently pulled open. Inside, he could see a distressed Zippleback, shrieking in terror and unable to escape.

Hiccup rushed forward and climbed up the side of the trap over the huge cogs used to open and close it. Looking in, he could see the dragon was held by a smaller device around its legs. Jumping in, he cautiously headed towards the Zippleback. Unfortunately, the beast was already so distressed, that it started flapping and screeching frantically in its attempt to get away from Hiccup. Which resulted in it setting off the trigger. Before Hiccup had a chance to realise what was happening, the dome had closed shut with a loud echoing CLANG, blocking off all the light.

Hiccup stopped and huffed, irritated with himself. "Great. Just great. How did I not see that coming?"

Further inland, Toothless head snapped up in alarm at the sound of the feint metallic noise. Flicking his gaze between the blind Hobblegrunt he was meant to be guarding and the sound that meant trouble, the night fury made a decision. He headed straight for Hiccup.

It didn't take him long to find the trap. Toothless couldn't see his boy, but he could smell him...along with another dragon. He circled the steel trap looking for a way in. Getting more and more frustrated, he let out a roar.

A familiar voice answered, echoing and faint behind the metal walls, "Toothless? Is that you?"

Toothless gave an irritated snort, stretching up the side of the dome to scratch at the cogs.

Hiccup heard him. "Yeah, I know bud. I did say I would be careful. But in my defence, it wasn't actually me this time."

Toothless glared at the dome, and shot a short plasma burst at it. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Can we discuss this later? I think this trap was meant to lure other dragons in...instead it only caught a dragon rider," he said ruefully.

The night fury grumbled and roared, circling the trap looking for a way in. Inside, hiccup was chatting to his 'roommate'.

"Hey girls. I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay."

Further inland, Astrid had arrived back with the balm for the Hobblegrunt. She knew she was in the right spot, but her panic started to rise when she couldn't find Hiccup or either of the dragons.

"Find them Stormfly. Find Hiccup!"

The Deadly Nadder sniffed the air a couple of times, then squawked. The pair were soon on their way towards the coast. It didn't take them long to find the black dragon, prowling around the metal dome. He appeared very irritable, and Astrid couldn't help but roll her eyes. Landing beside the dome, she walked over and knocked on the metal. "Hiccup? Are you in there?" she yelled.

"Yes," came the sheepish reply.

Astrid searched for a way to release her errant husband while she yelled at him through the thick metal. "You are impossible! I leave you alone for five minutes, and you go and get yourself trapped. How you even get out of bed in the morning is beyond me." Finding a winch handle, she climbed over the cogs to reach it.

Hiccup objected, "Hey! First of all...it was more like twenty minutes, and second of all...I get myself out of bed just fine. Now stop hassling me, and find a way out."

Astrid grunted as she struggled with the heavy winch handle. It wouldn't budge.

"What do you think I've been doing? Painting my fingernails? The winch won't move," she yelled back in frustration.

Stormfly and Toothless both suddenly gave warning grumbles, their attention diverted by something on the other side of the dome. Astrid went to see what it was.

"Dragon hunters," she whispered to herself. Heading back to the winch, she struggled again. "Hiccup...we've got company. Any ideas are best used now," she warned.

"Ahh...good to know...um, okay. Can you and the dragons hold them off for a bit? I think I might have an idea," Hiccup's voice echoed to her.

"Am I going to like it?" she asked, already climbing aboard Stormfly.

"Probably not," he admitted.

Astrid shook her head and rolled her eyes, before launching into the air with Stormfly. "Come on, girl. Let's go save his butt...again."

Inside the dome, Hiccup was talking to the Zippleback. He'd already managed to calm the frightened animal down. Now he made a promise. "If you don't tell her, I won't either. Deal?"

The Zippleback's two heads wrapped around him in affection. "Okay, girls...let's do this." He climbed under the dragons belly and waited. The gas head released a steady stream of green gas within the enclosed space, then the spark head ignited it with a loud and resonating BOOOM!

Astrid and Stormfly both jolted at the noise, turning back mid-air to stare at the dome. The two lids had partially opened, and smoke was pouring out of the top. There was just enough space for a very dusty looking man to pull himself through.

Astrid heaved a sigh in relief, then turned her attention back to the hunters. She and Stormfly had been scaring them away and they were leaving…for now. But she knew it wouldn't be long before they returned with reinforcements. She also knew that Hiccup wouldn't go until the trapped dragon was released. With one final blast towards the fleeing hunters, the two flew back to Hiccup where he was trying to turn the stiff winch handle.

"You look ridiculous," was all she had to say, as she climbed up behind him to grab hold of the handle too.

"Thank you m'lady. You look devastatingly beautiful, as usual," Hiccup replied with a grin, his white teeth showing through the soot covering his face.

She only frowned, and pushed harder. It took their combined efforts, but they were slowly beginning to feel the winch handle move. When the two lids were opened enough, Hiccup climbed back in. The Zippleback was still tied to the trap, but Hiccup could now see there were a series of D-shackles holding it all together. He started to twist the first one open.

Outside, Toothless gave a warning bark. The hunters were back.

"Hiccup, speed it up," yelled Astrid.

"Okay, okay," Hiccup muttered. He only had the last one to go. Unfortunately, it was being stubborn. "Must be a Viking shackle," Hiccup mused drily to himself, while he struggled with it.

Outside, the arrows were already starting to fly. Astrid climbed aboard Toothless, taking to the air. Stormfly flew beside her, and both dragons swerved and rolled to avoid the missiles, blasting hot fire back in return. Toothless barely managed to avoid a bola being thrown at them, diving at the last moment. Astrid glanced back at the dome, and saw Hiccup encouraging the Zippleback to fly upwards and safely away. As soon as the dragon was in the air, he climbed out as well, racing towards the forest. Astrid didn't hesitate...she turned the dragons away from the hunters and back towards him.

Astrid yelled, "Stormfly…fetch," and pointed towards Hiccup. Stormfly fetched, and her husband was soon dangling from the Nadder's claws. "Good girl!"

Astrid and Toothless flew underneath Stormfly, who dropped her precious cargo of one, straight onto the back of the Night Fury.

"Thanks Stormfly," Hiccup yelled, wrapping his arms around his wife, and sliding his feet into the pedals.

"Let's go back to the Hobblegrunt," he said, directing the Night Fury to where they had last seen the blind dragon.

"Hiccup…he wasn't there," said Astrid in a worried tone.

"Well, he can't have gone far. Let's have a quick look around," said Hiccup.

Astrid took the chance to leap back to her own dragon and the couple searched through the forest, the trappers still too close for comfort. It was soon apparent, that the dragon was no longer amongst the trees.

Hiccup was really concerned now. "Do you think the hunters took him?" he asked Astrid.

She shrugged. "I don't know, but there were other traps further up the coast," she told him.

Hiccup frowned darkly. "Time to call on our neighbours, then," he said grimly, turning Toothless back towards the danger they had just escaped from.

Flying over, they headed straight for the least protected traps. Using their weapons, plus the devastating fiery blasts from their dragons, the young couple were able to work courageously as a well-oiled team, releasing the captive dragons while avoiding the arrows and bolas. The hunters were forced to play catch up, as the riders flew off just as the hunters reached each trap.

Hiccup and Astrid found another two domes, plus several cages. It was clear they had interrupted Drago's men preparing to cart away their successful catch. Unfortunately for the hunters, two dragon riders had managed to interfere with that plan.

To the young couple's dismay however, several dragons had been injured in the traps and were unable to fly. These they had to hastily remove by snatching them up using the strong claws of their own Night Fury and Deadly Nadder. Fortunately, the other bigger and more able bodied dragons soon got the idea and latched onto their non-flying reptilian friends so that all of them were able to escape.

After making sure none were left behind, Hiccup led the way further inland to a natural hidden valley. He had noticed it during earlier searches. All it needed was a little extra rock wall reinforcement to make it impregnable to anyone except dragons and their riders.

Leading the way, Hiccup landed in a large clearing with the others not far behind. Astrid was quickly off Stormfly and straight away headed into the midst of them all, looking to calm the injured ones first. Hiccup climbed up a large rock, so that he could see over the group of eight dragons. But the blinded Hobblegrunt was not amongst them.

"Where did he go, bud?" Hiccup asked Toothless. But the Fury could only give an unsure croon in response. "You don't know either, huh? Well, he couldn't have flown off unless he was carried."

Hiccup shook his head. He was worried about the missing dragon, but right now there were several other injured dragons needing his attention.

"Hiccup!" called out Astrid, walking up to him. "Five of them have injuries and need care for a few days at least, some longer than that. But there's too many of them for us to do this by ourselves. And what about the hunters? They could easily find them again," she said worriedly.

Hiccup frowned, deep in thought. "They might be okay here for a while, if we block off the ends of the valley. There's a river running through the middle of it that should have enough fish for a few days at least... Do you think Brenda's kit will have enough medicine?" he said rapidly.

Astrid nodded. "Enough for a start, at least. Although I'm pretty sure Brenda wasn't thinking that we would need to play nursemaid to so many dragons all at once," she said with a snort.

Hiccup shrugged. "We'll do what we can for now. Maybe Galen and Farah will know where we can find more."

"Do you want me to bring them back with me?" Astrid asked.

"Good idea. They can help," said Hiccup.

After Astrid left, Hiccup continued to survey the dragons below. There was a variety of them that were not available on Berk or the Edge, and his fingers felt an itch to draw them. He had a chuckle to himself as he thought about his husky friend, Fishlegs. He knew the bigger man would be in his element here, observing and learning all he could about the different dragons. But first, they needed to be cared for.

He calmly walked into the centre of the draconic group Toothless right beside him. Eight sets of cautious eyes were upon him as he took a deep breath to focus himself. Stretching out his hand, he turned his head away...and waited.

-oOo-

One heavy set sweating hunter stood with his hands on his hips, his face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to draw much needed air back into his lungs. Physical fitness was not one of his strong points and he had just been put through an unexpected workout by two dragon riders stealing his trapped merchandise.

His friend beside him wasn't doing much better. "The boss ain't gonna be happy," he said, gasping deeply.

"Tha's the second time this week. Where are they bleedin' well comin' from, tha's wot I wanna know," said the first guy.

"Dunno. But we'd better find some more of those flamin' reptiles...and fast."

The bigger guy nodded dumbly, then turned to stagger back to the ruined traps. "Come on, then. Traps won't fix themselves, will they?"

-oOo-

By the time Astrid had returned on Stormfly with Galen and Farah, Hiccup had all the dragons relaxed under his care. He was sorry that comforting the injured ones was all he could do for them until Astrid returned. The three larger mostly uninjured dragons, had been more than willing to assist him and Toothless in building a rock wall to stop any errant hunters from finding them.

Stormfly landed in the clearing with all her passengers and cargo. Galen and Farah were wide eyed in total disbelief, too mesmerized by what was surrounding them to even slide off the Nadder's back after Astrid had dismounted.

"Hey babe. I see you've been busy without me," said Astrid, smiling as she gave Hiccup a brief peck.

He shrugged. "Oh you know...just a little redecorating here and there."

"Well, I love what you've done with the place," she told him, handing over the precious medicine kit.

"Wow! Are you kidding me?" Galen finally said, shaking himself out of his trance and gingerly sliding off Stormfly. He tugged on Farah's arm. "Come on...if I'm seeing this then you have to be part of it too."

"I'm not dreaming, I can't be dreaming, am I dreaming?" she asked rapidly, so overwhelmed with excitement she could barely breath.

Hiccup greeted them both with an amused chuckle. "No, you're not dreaming and yes, this is real," he reassured them both. "Come on Farah, time to put into practice what you learnt."

She started to squeal excitedly, but the newly released dragons shuffled uneasily. Astrid shushed her quickly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Farah whispered. "But this is just so wonderful!"

Astrid frowned. "Yes, we know. But right now you have to keep it together. These dragons are hurt and need our help. If you can't follow instructions then you will have to leave now."

Farah immediately clamped up.

Hiccup added firmly, "We also really need you to keep this totally secret. We still don't know who are Vadik and Nasir's supporters and who aren't. If word got out about these injured dragons, I doubt they would take long to find them. Not to mention what would happen to us...or you," he warned.

Galen gave Hiccup his solemn promise, "You can trust us. Not a word will get past our lips."

Farah asked, "But what about Ivar? Can we tell him?"

Galen immediately stomped on that thought. "No. If Vadik thought Ivar knew anything, it would put him in serious trouble...plus you know how Ivar feels about dragons."

Farah's face fell. "You're right. Although it doesn't feel right leaving him out, it would be for the best. I just hope he gets to see how wonderful dragons are," she said forlornly.

"He will...don't worry," Galen said, giving his sister a hug to cheer her up.

Hiccup was already setting up the medicine kit. He had handed the mortar and pestle to Astrid along with the herbs and the tinctures she had asked for. She didn't take long to start mixing the ingredients into a paste, just as Brenda had taught her.

"Astrid...some of these herbs have been used. Where did they go?" Hiccup wanted to know, frowning as he checked the kit.

For some reason, his wife blushed at the question. "Oh...umm, I took those out for another purpose. I'll tell you about it later," she told him, flicking an embarrassed glance towards the siblings, hoping they hadn't heard.

They had, and were smirking at Hiccup's incomprehension.

"Why? Are you sick?" he asked in concern, his green eyes already examining her closely for any signs of illness.

"No. I'm fine," she said, her blush deepening.

"Are you sure? You look a little red," Hiccup said naively, peering at his wife's reddened cheeks.

Behind them, the siblings were sniggering through their fingers, being mindful of the jittery dragons and not wanting to upset them.

"I'm fine, Hiccup," Astrid hissed through her teeth. "Can we talk about this later?"

Hiccup wavered. "Er...okay." He watched her warily, realizing he'd made some kind of error but not knowing what it was. Or why the Chief's offspring were laughing about it. All he knew, was that he was going to be in trouble later on.

"Hand me that bowl," she demanded, and Hiccup breathed out a silent sigh of relief for the change in topic.

He handed her the bowl.

While Astrid worked on the medicines they needed, Hiccup introduced Galen and Farah to an injured dragon each. These were the animals that the siblings were going to work with, while Astrid and Hiccup took care of the remaining three. The ones that hadn't been injured seemed to be in no hurry to leave, so Hiccup left them for now. They could perhaps be useful again later on, if need be.

Hiccup and Astrid worked together to carefully examine each dragon. Most had several deep gashes that needed stitches and ointment to prevent infection. Hiccup had added an extra ingredient to the ointment, knowing that Night Fury saliva had healing properties. Although Galen and Farah had stared at their efforts with disgust, trying hard not to dry retch at the idea.

After the damage to the dragons had been assessed, it was time to stitch together the tough hides that needed it. Hiccup did the actual work while Astrid and the other two reassured the dragons and kept them calm. After that, Astrid showed the siblings how to apply the paste to the wounds, and taught them what signs of infection to look out for. They were going to have to keep a careful watch on the dragons for the next few days until they were healed enough to fly by themselves.

Astrid had her healing knowledge from Brenda, but Hiccup had learnt plenty too when he was helping injured dragons back at the Edge. He felt a pang of homesickness at the thought, and wondered how the others were going. He fully expected that his father would have closed down the Edge and taken the others back to Berk by now. Although he wasn't sure how the town was going to survive with the Thorston twins and Snotlout back full time.

Johann had already told them that Vigo and his brother had been silenced by his own father, in supposed retribution for his and Astrid's kidnapping. Hiccup had shuddered at the news, knowing what a powerful man his father was. It would have been quick, at least. Not like the torture he and Astrid had been forced to endure on the dragon hunters boat, and later on the island where they had worked as slaves.

Hiccup knew he and Astrid were here by choice, with the goal of helping others to learn the truth about dragons. But he still had moments of doubt, wondering if he had done the right thing by asking Astrid to give up her home and family for an unknown length of time, to follow along with him on a seemingly impossible journey.

Finally, the dragons were all stitched up and ointment applied as best as possible. Galen and Farah were fussing over the ones they were caring for, and Astrid was checking through her supplies. Hiccup stood watching them all, his eyes unfocussed as his mind drifted away again.

Astrid came over.

"Hiccup? You okay? You seem a little spaced out there," she asked in concern, taking a hold of his hand with her own.

"Are we doing the right thing here?" he asked her, his green eyes intense as he stared into her own blue ones. "Are we actually going to change anything? Maarav seems to be using us as some kind of novelty entertainment value for himself, and Nasir and Vadik have the people so frightened that nobody is prepared to make a public stand against them. We've already done two training sessions and yet not a single person was brave enough to come down. We'll end up leaving and it will all go straight back to the way it was," he lamented.

Astrid gave his hand a tight squeeze. "Hiccup, don't sell yourself so short. Yes, nobody stepped up in public, but look at all those who came to us afterwards. Look at Galen and Farah. They are the next leaders of this town, and they will make a difference. I know it," she told him, urging him to consider all the good they had achieved, even if it wasn't exactly what he had been hoping for.

"But I forced you to marry me, so we could go on this crazy venture," he persisted, still worrying about keeping Astrid away from her family.

Astrid immediately put her hands on her hips and glared at him, her brows drawn and her lips pursed tightly.

"Hiccup Haddock. I don't ever want to hear you say that again," she told him fiercely. "Don't you dare think you forced me to do anything. I married you willingly, knowing full well what we were doing. And we are doing it…together," she hissed at him.

Hiccup was aghast at her reaction, her words hitting him like a punch to the stomach. Astrid was no weak-willed delicate girl. She was a fiercely independent warrior who did what she thought best. She would never allow herself to be 'forced' to do anything…especially marrying him…if she didn't want to.

He dropped his gaze, chastened. "I'm sorry Astrid. I didn't think…"

She came quickly over and put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. She spoke softly. "I married you because I love you…and I believe in you. You are an incredible man, Hiccup. What you have already done is amazing. Your vision for the future is revolutionary, and I consider it a massive privilege to be beside you while you take that journey to make it all come true. I wouldn't miss it for all the world."

Hiccup felt a lump in his throat at her tender words, and he could do nothing more than tug her close and hold her tight against him. Astrid had her arms around his shoulders, and she whispered in his ear. "Besides, being married also has it's…perks."

He chuckled, pulling away only enough so that he could reach her lips, and kissed her hungrily.

A throat cleared behind them. "Should we leave now?" Farah asked with a grin. "I mean, we could go behind those trees if you two need a little…alone time."

Astrid's cheeks glowed red, and Hiccup wasn't much better as they separated. Astrid punched his shoulder.

"Oww! I would ask what that was for, but I'm pretty sure I know," he said to her, protesting and rubbing the bruise.

Astrid stalked off to pack away the kit, leaving Hiccup to deal with the other two who were grinning madly.

"Okay, we'll make sure all the dragons are safe and comfortable, then we'll head back to town. We've been away long enough," he told them.

"Surrre…that's why you're in a rush," Galen teased.

Hiccup ignored him, and went to Toothless to check the straps on his tail. "Galen, you're with me, and Farah's with Astrid," he told them, sitting astride the saddle. Within minutes, all four were in the air and flying towards Rageri.

-oOo-

The next few days, became a constant struggle for all of them. Leading a public life during the day, then stealing away together to check on the dragons and reapply fresh ointment was taking its toll. Plus Astrid and Hiccup still had small groups of people streaming in to visit them and their dragons in the evenings.

While the young couple welcomed them and the opportunity to teach others, albeit under the cover of darkness, the busy schedule was beginning to exhaust them. What worried them the most was that Nasir always seemed to be one step ahead of them. While they often searched in vain for him, he didn't seem to have the same problem. Which they had to assume was because of the extra sets of eyes he had available to him.

Even though Hiccup and Astrid were quickly gaining new friends, none of those new sympathizers were keen to be seen with them in public. So they only had their own eyes to rely on, plus their dragons of course.

Hiccup and Astrid had also hoped to find out more from Ivar. Apart from that first brief sighting, when he was ogling Farah, they hadn't seen him since. Galen explained that Vadik had Ivar working far away from the Chief or his children. Even Galen hadn't been able to find him.

The strain of constantly being careful of where they were, and who might hear them talking was creating a lot of stress for the small group. Hiccup had already been forced to ask for a delay in a third demonstration attempt, telling the Chief that he wanted to search for wild dragons to train in the arena first.

Hiccup hoped for a reprieve when the injured dragons finally healed. He wanted them safely off the island and away from the hunters. He and Astrid had continued to watch the dragon hunters traps, but no more dragons were caught. It was almost as if something else was keeping them away. While he was grateful for that, it also worried Hiccup. Where were they?

Then one day, things got worse.

Galen and Farah were finishing up with the dragons they had been given responsibility for. Galen had a young Scuttleclaw, while Farah worked with a Gronkle that she had named Hilde.

Hiccup had already observed that Farah and Hilde had bonded. Galen was fond of his young charge, but one of the uninjured dragons, a Monstrous Nightmare, had also taken a shine to the young man. Hiccup had helped Galen to approach the male dragon, with the result that Galen was soon being pursued around the valley by the large dragon, no matter where he went.

"Personal space, man…have you never heard of it?" Galen grumbled to the Nightmare, after being accidentally knocked over once more.

Farah laughed. "Spike sure is keen on you," she teased her brother.

Galen glared at his sister, making her laugh again. They were packing away their tools, ready to head back to town after another session with the injured dragons.

Astrid was checking her medicinal supplies. "We've run out of the Calendula we need to make the ointment," she said to the siblings. "Do you know where we can find a new supply? It's one of the main ingredients."

Hiccup moved forward, keen to know the answer. The dragons wounds were healing nicely, but they still needed another few days before they could go. Stopping the treatments now could be disastrous.

When Astrid had told them the name of the plant, Galen and Farah had immediately stared at each other in dread.

Hiccup saw their drawn faces and immediately grew rigid with apprehension. "What's the problem?" he asked tensely. "Is there none here?"

Galen swallowed hard before answering. "No…it's here. But there's only one supplier."

Farah whispered hoarsely. "Nasir."

* * *

 **Uh oh! How will they get out of this one? Stay tuned….**

 **Disclaimer: the names of the herbs are real. Just probably not available in Norway.**


End file.
